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Burrowing Owl

Athene cuniculariaOrder: STRIGIFORMESFamily: True Owls (Strigidae)

Burrowing Owl Portrait
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General

Burrowing Owl: Small ground-dwelling owl, mostly brown with numerous white spots and no ear tufts. Legs are long. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has pale underparts and buff breast.

Range and Habitat

Burrowing Owl: Occurs in southwestern Canada, the western U.S., Florida, and northern Alaska. Preferred habitats include open, dry grasslands and deserts.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"coo-coo-roo or co-hoo", "who-who"

Interesting Facts

 Burrowing Owls are diurnal (active during the day) while most other species of owls are nocturnal (active at night).

 Like other owls they prey on small mammals but, unlike other owls, they will also eat fruits and seeds, especially the fruit of the prickly pear cactus.

 Unusual among all species of birds, the females are actually smaller than the males.

 A group of owls has many collective nouns, including a "bazaar", "glaring", "parliament", "stooping", and "wisdom" of owls.



Author

Gary Owen Dick

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Range Map for Burrowing Owl
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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.
Family True Owl (Strigidae)_blue
Species Athene cunicularia
Length9 - 11 Inches
Wingspan22 Inches

Burrowing Owl

Burrowing Owl: Small ground-dwelling owl, mostly brown with numerous white spots and no ear tufts. Eyes are yellow. White chin and throat. Tail is short, and legs are long. Bouyant, erratic flight with slow, silent wingbeats. May hover briefly above prey. The scientific name means "little digger."

● Song: "coo-coo-roo or co-hoo", "who-who"

● Foraging & Feeding: Burrowing Owl: Eats mostly large arthropods, but also feeds on mice, small rabbits, rats, gophers, ground squirrels, bats, reptiles, amphibians, and birds. Often watches from perch and then glides silently toward target; most active at dusk and dawn, but will hunt anytime throughout a 24-hour period.

● Breeding & nesting: Burrowing Owl: Lays seven to ten white, nest stained eggs in nest lined with excrement, pellets, grass, feathers, and other debris, built in a burrow, pipe, culvert, or nest box; burrows are either dug by the owls or have been abandoned by ground squirrels, prairie dogs, badgers, or other small mammals. Female incubates for 21 to 30 days.

● Similar species: Burrowing Owl: Short-eared owl is larger, has black bill, and moth-like flight.

Flight Pattern

Buoyant erratic flight., Silent wing beats.
Burrowing Owl Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Burrowing Owl: Occurs in southwestern Canada, the western U.S., Florida, and northern Alaska. Preferred habitats include open, dry grasslands and deserts.
BreedingMonogamous, Often colonial
PopulationFairly common to common but local
MigrationIrregular
Weight5.3 Ounces