Burrowing Owl

Types of Typical Owls Barred Owl Snowy Owl Great-horned Owl Screech Owl Spectacled Owl Types of Owls

Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia) are small migratory owls that live around and breed in ground burrows.

They are also an adaptable species, making their homes in both grassland and desert areas across the Western United States, except for the immediate coastal areas. They usually choose existing burrows dug by ground mammals or tortoises for homes, however some are known to dig their own burrows.

Burrowing owls not particularly adverse to interactions with humans, often living around human population centers. The top shows a burrowing owl hopping along a parking lot at dusk looking for a meal.

Their diet consists of insects and small mammals.

© 2007 Patricia A. Michaels