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| MEASUREMENTS: The Burrowing Owl has a body length of 7 1/2 - 10 inches, a wingspan of 21 - 24 inches, and weighs 4 1/2 - 9 ounces. Unlike most owls, the male bird is slightly heavier and has a longer wingspan than the females. |
 HABITAT: This owl is found in dry, open areas such as grasslands, prairies, savannas, deserts, farmlands, golf courses and other urban areas. Its range extends from southwestern Canada, western USA and Florida, throughout Central America, and most of South America, excluding the Amazon Basin. Birds in the northern part of the range are migratory. |
| DIET: The main diet of this owl is insects and small mammals, but it will also eat reptiles and amphibians. Burrowing Owls hunt while walking or running across the ground and by swooping down from a perch or hover, and they will catch insects from the air. |
| REPRODUCTION: Burrowing Owls nest in open areas in a burrow dug by other animals. These owls may nest alone or in a group with other nesting Burrowing Owls. The female lays 6 - 11 eggs that are incubated for 28 - 30 days. The young owls fledge in 6 weeks, but stay in the parent’s territory to forage. Burrowing Owls may be sexually mature at 1 year of age. |
| NAME DERIVATION: The scientific name comes from the Greek word athene, referring to the Greek goddess of wisdom whose favorite bird was an owl, and the Latin word cunicularia, meaning a miner or burrower. This owl nests in animal burrows, thus the common name. Other common names are Billy Owl, Ground Owl, Long-legged Owl, Prairie Owl, and Prairie Dog Owl. |
INTERESTING FACTS:
- Burrowing Owls hunt throughout the 24-hour day, but are mainly crepuscular, hunting at dusk and dawn. They tend to hunt insects in daylight and small mammals at night.
- Human activities like cattle grazing, mowing, developing large areas of land, and draining wetlands have benefitted some local populations of Burrowing Owls. Unfortunately, this owl is becoming scarce in native grasslands and prairies due to the human activities that have caused the reduction of burrowing mammals, which provide burrows for these owls to use as nests.
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