Francesca Scalpi

BURROWING OWL Athene cunicularia
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A small, long-legged owl with bright yellow eyes and broad, white eyebrow. Males: head, back, and chest are brown with white spotting, belly white with dark barring. Females: similar to male, but with heavier barring and spotting. Young: less barring; brown chest, buff colored belly

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Ranges from southern Canada all the way through South America; also found on Caribbean Islands.
HABITAT: Dry, open areas: grasslands, savannas, deserts, farmland; even golf courses, cemeteries, vacant lots, and other flat, open grounds within towns and cities.

BURROWING OWL DIET: Arthropods like beetles, crickets, and scorpions; small mammals such as voles; sometimes reptiles and amphibians

Usually crepuscular, but can be found hunting anytime of day or night; walks, hops, or runs on the ground after prey; also hunts from perch; sometimes caches prey in or around burrow.
Nest Site: in burrow in flat or slightly elevated areas; burrows are usually made by mammals like ground squirrels, prairie dogs, badgers, etc, and are “renovated” by the owl

Burrowing Owl Photo Cards, Prints and Ornaments available in the Card Shop.