The burrowing owl is not your average owl. Small, day-loving, and fearless of strangers, this owl has a very unique personality compared to its other owl cousins. Standing tall at less than a foot in height, and not even half a pound in weight, (the smallest of the owl species) the size of your average burrowing owl is less than your average bag of flour. They are brown all over, are specked with white, and have a yellow beak and yellow eyes.

What and How They Eat: Burrowing owls aren't exactly picky eaters. Their main source of protein is insects, especially grasshoppers and beetles. They catch these bugs by chasing them, and grabbing them with their feet. They will also hover close to the ground to dive at prey. Similar to the hunting behavior of other owls, this species will also stand on posts and rocks to get a better view of nearby food. Small animals, such as mice, ground squirrels, toads, and other small birds are also on the menu.

Making Babies: Ground-loving creatures, burrowing owls actually very rarely dig their own burrows. Although capable and willing to do so, it often uses one already made by prairie dogs, ground squirrels, skunks, armadillos, or tortoises. Burrowing owls use these burrows as their nesting sites. The male prepares the burrow by scraping out the dirt and lining it with dried plants, feathers, and dried manure. The female then lays anywhere from 6 to 12 eggs, and spends all of her time sitting on them until they hatch. The male owl will feed her as they wait for the chicks to be born. In four weeks, the eggs will start hatching at different times. The egg laid first will hatch first. Sometimes, the nests may get too crowded, and the family will have to use two or three burrows for the young. Parents will bring them food until they are anywhere from 7 - 8 weeks old. At that time, they will be as big as their parents and ready to venture away from the nest.

Burrowing Owl Stats:

Interesting Facts:

• An Owl with Many Names: The Burrowing Owl is a bird with many names. He has also been called the Prairie Dog Owl, Ground Owl, Rattlesnake Owl, Howdy Owl, Cuckoo Owl, Tunnel Owl, Gopher Owl, and Hill Owl 
• The Early Bird: Burrowing owls differ from other species of owls in that they are active during the day (diurnal). Most people are familiar with the idea most owls are active at night (nocturnal).  
• Unusual Bait: Burrowing owls often line their burrows with cow dung (dried manure). Biologists believe that this is done to attract dung beetles, which make for very tasty owl snacks.

Threats to the Burrowing Owl:

• Human measures to control burrowing animals, such as squirrels, limit nesting sites.
• Introduction of pesticides and other chemicals poison these birds.
• Burrowing Owls are often killed by cars, as they hunt on roads where insects like to hang out.
• Human development in the short grass prairie that the owls need impose on their habitat.
• Predators like cats, dogs, skunks, and foxes take owls from the ground.

 How You Can Help

• Help preserve Burrowing Owl nesting sites by limiting human measures to control other burrowing animals.
• Keep a close eye on pets to assure they do not disturb these birds.

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Burrowing Owls - WDFW