Burrowing Owl

Strix cunicularia Molina, 1782 Speotyto cunicularia Spheotyto cunicularia

The Burrowing Owl is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

The Burrowing Owl is, in its own right, majestic. It stands on long legs, an atypical attribute for owls, and has beautiful spotted and barred markings laid on areas of soft brown plumage, white eyebrows, forecollar, and throatband, and a pale brown to whitish facial disk (Figure 1). The lower areas are whitish to pale beige with dense bars of brown. The Burrowing owl is smallish in size compared to other owls, at about 21-28 cm (8.5-11 in.) long. More

The Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) is a small, long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or any other dry, open area with low vegetation. They nest and roost in burrows, such as those excavated by prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.). Unlike most owls, burrowing owls are often active during the day, although they tend to avoid the mid-day heat. More

Burrowing Owl Conservation Network advocates for the protection and restoration of the Western Burrowing Owl and promotes the preservation and careful management of habitat to prevent loss, foster healthy populations, and maintain intact natural communities for an ecologically sound future. More

Subspecies: There are two races of Burrowing Owl in North America. There is one race restricted to Clarion Island, south-west from the tip of Baja California and one race restricted to the Island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. The remaining 15 recognized races are all found in South America. A. c. hypugaea is found from E. Texas north to S. Manitoba and west across S. Canada and all of the Western USA south (including all of Mexico) to El Salvador. A. c. More

The Burrowing Owl lives in a burrow, not in a tree. I became interested in the Burrowing Owl when I learned that it's an Endangered Species. When you read these pages, you will find that there is a Burrowing Owl restoration program in Alberta that provides some hope. In my WEB search for information on this feathered critter, I discovered that human beings revere the owl. More

Burrowing Owl courtesy of The Owl Pages Name: Burrowing owl Scientific name: Athene cunicularia Range:All of North and Central America Habitat: grasslands and deserts Status: Not threatened Diet in the wild: rodents, insects and small birds Diet in the zoo: mice Location in the zoo: Texas Wild! In the panhandle section. Physical description: * Length 21. More

True to its name, the Burrowing Owl nests in a hole in the ground. Although it is quite willing to dig its own burrow, it often uses one already provided by prairie dogs, skunks, armadillos, or tortoises. Come watch nesting birds at Nestcams. More

BURROWING OWL STATUS AND POPULATION TRENDS THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA = The Burrowing Owl, a California Species of Special Concern, is declining across much of the state, presumably in response to loss of habitat to urban development, ground squirrel control efforts, and intensive agriculture practices. More

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery is located in the town of Oliver in the South Okanagan region of British Columbia. Burrowing Owl Estate Winery produces 8 varieties of premium VQA wines and also has an 11 room guest house, a wine shop and a fine-dining restaurant on site. Site designed and maintained by Pulse Group Media & Communications | Please report any errors to jeff@graphicdepictions. More

Burrowing Owl Habitat Buy a T-Shirt Art Contest Injured Bird/Eggs Survey Results Artificial Burrows Educational Outreach GoodSearch: You Search... More

Voice: The burrowing owl has many vocalizations. The male’s primary vocalization is a coo-coo, used for both courting and defense. Females produce a rasping sound when responding to the male. Young give a “rattlesnake rasp” call, an acoustical mimic of a rattlesnake rattle, which may deter potential predators from entering burrows. Habitat: Unique among North American owls in many respects, they are nocturnal, but will be seen during day. Frequently nests in loose colonies in suburban and farmyard environments. More

Burrowing owls have disappeared from much of their historic range. Behavior - Unlike other owls, burrowing owls are active during the day, especially in the spring when they gather food for their large broods. This species of owl prefers open areas with low ground cover. They can often be found perching near their burrow on fence posts and trees. Burrowing owls make a tremulous chuckling or chattering call. More

* Distribution: The burrowing owl is found in open grasslands throughout the western half of the United States. Another population occurs in southern Florida. In Kansas, burrowing owls are summer residents and primarily found in the western third of the state. * Food: Insects and mice make up the bulk of the burrowing owl More

Burrowing Owl Information What is a Burrowing Owl? Burrowing Owls are small, ground-nesting owls common in the western United States. They weigh between 4 and 5 oz. and are approximately 8 to 10 inches in height with long, sparsely feathered legs. Their small, round heads lack ear tufts. They have a light brown back with numerous white speckles, and a white underbelly with horizontal brown barring. More

The New Mexico Burrowing Owl Working Group is a partnership of non-profit organizations, government agencies, private enterprises, and individuals with a common goal of promoting Burrowing Owl awareness and conservation in our state. Concerned over several local Burrowing Owl population declines in New Mexico, the group was formed in 2001 as a means of sharing data and information among researchers, agencies, and the public. By bringing these interests together, the working group can play a positive role in Burrowing Owl conservation. More

The Burrowing Owl nests underground instead of in trees. More

Fight To Save Burrowing Owls In Contra Costa Co. More

The burrowing owl is a pint-sized bird that lives in open, treeless areas. The burrowing owl spends most of its time on the ground, where its sandy brown plumage provides camouflage from potential predators. One of Florida's smallest owls, it averages nine inches in height with a wingspan of 21 inches. The burrowing owl lacks the ear tufts of the more familiar woodland owls. Bright yellow eyes and a white chin accent the face. More

The Burrowing Owl depends mainly on the abandoned burrows of prairie dogs for nesting sites and shelter, and, to some extent, on those of badgers, ground squirrels, woodchucks, foxes, skunks and armadillos. This owl is a bird of the treeless, shortgrass country, from southern Canada to Argentina. Burrowing Owls are generally 23 to 26 cm (9 to 10 in.) long. An adult male's wings are each about 17 cm (6 in.) long. Females are usually larger than males. More

Burrowing Owl can be documented and * To provide resources on the ecology, distribution, and management of Burrowing Owls on private and public lands. * To involve citizens in monitoring owls, and their habitat, in order to increase the awareness of the Burrowing Owl. More

The first published report of the Burrowing Owl was in 1782 by Giovanni Iganzio Molina, an Italian Jesuit priest stationed in Chile. The Burrowing Owl has also been known as Ground Owl, Prairie Dog Owl, Rattlesnake Owl, Howdy Owl, Cuckoo Owl, Tunnel Owl, Gopher Owl, and Hill Owl. Description: A small ground-dwelling Owl with a round head and no ear tufts. They have white eyebrows, yellow eyes, and long legs. More

The Burrowing Owl is native throughout most the Americas stretching into Canada, the main exception being the Amazon rainforests & the eastern side of North America. The population of Burrowing Owls is declining in the US, they are listed as a species of Federal Special Concern. They are classified as endangered in Canada. The birds from the more northern regions are migratory over the winter months. More

There are two subspecies of Burrowing Owls in North America (Dechant et al. 2003, Johnsgard 1988). The breeding range of Athene cunicularia hypugaea extends south from southern Canada into the western half of the United States and down into Baja California, Mexico, and central Mexico. A. cunicularia floridana occurs in Florida and adjacent islands. The winter range is similar to the breeding range except that most owls from the northern areas of the Great Plains and Great Basin migrate south (Haug et al. 1993). More

Burrowing Owls in our area! Goals of the Urban Burrowing Owl Monitoring Project are: * Map the location of burrows used by breeding burrowing owls in the Las Vegas Valley * Monitor these burrows for at least 3 years during the breeding season to determine the breeding success of these owls Information on the location of breeding burrowing owls More

Burrowing Owl Conservation Society of BC - information, photos, reintroduction, webcam Moose Jaw, Sask. - Burrowing Owl Interpretive Centre Nature Saskatchewan - fact book, reports Hinterland Who's Who - The Burrowing Owl - images courtesy of : Alan and Elaine Wilson; Nature's Pics Online license Creative Commons Attribution-share Alike 3. More

Burrowing Owl Protection | Efforts | Facts | Help | The San Francisco Bay Area is one of the four primary Burrowing Owl nesting areas in California. The Santa Clara Valley 2006 Burrowing Owl census revealed that local owls are now almost completely restricted to bayside parks, airports, and the edges of golf courses. Primary causes of population declines are human conversions and discing of habitats and eradication of burrow-generating mammals. More

The Burrowing Owl is a small owl and as the name implies it lives underground rather than in trees likes its brothers. It's an excellent hunter, taking down prey to feed its brood, but when it comes to building a home, it lets the prairie dogs and ground squirrels do the work. Once they've dug a nice burrow, it evicts the residents and calls it his own. More

Burrowing Owl (Speotyto cunicularia) ~ Great Plains race Adult Juvenile Nestling Burrowing Owls are small grassland birds that inhabit Canada's prairie provinces (they are also found in areas of the western United States and Florida). They have undergone a considerable amount of publicity in the last few decades as populations have suffered terrible declines due to habitat loss. More

burrowing owl is only nine inches tall, has a short tail, and very long legs, and weighs about 4 oz. Geographic Range: The burrowing owl is found both in North and South America. In the U.S., the owl lives mostly in the west, but several thousand reside in the higher and dryer parts of South and Central Florida. Status: listed as a "species of special concern" in several states because its numbers are declining. More