Burrowing owl photos are pretty easy to find. They are active during the day and not too shy around people (don’t be a poor guest and get in their space though, binoculars are great for viewing). These little spotted owls with the long legs are found on prairie dog towns across the west. Here in Wyoming they are relatively uncommon, but are a species of interest because of their unique ecology and connection to important Wyoming ecosystems.
Burrowing owls carry out a lot of their lives in burrows, as the name suggests. In the west, with its hard, clay rich soils, they rely on prairie dog burrows for these homes. Females have their own burrows where they lay 6-12 eggs each year. They are relatively short lived and chick mortality is high, so large clutches are important. Males have their own bachelor pads nearby. These owls are also big migrators, they often winter in warmer climates in Mexico when their primary foods of small rodents and insects become scarce.
Prairie dogs are keystone species on Wyoming grasslands, creating habitat and providing food for a wide variety of species. Impacts to burrowing owl populations often indicate the health of prairie dogs in an area since they are so closely tied and can be an indicator of the health of the whole grassland. In addition to being important indicators, they are just cool birds. Here are a few fun burrowing owl facts.
A large percentage of burrowing owl migrations make a stop in Lubbock, Texas.
Sometimes females will spread animal feces around the entrance to their burrow during incubation to attract bugs for an easy brooding snack.
They also cache rodents for the incubation period, the largest ever found being 200 rodents
They have a high tolerance for carbon dioxide, an adaptation to living underground.
Learn more about Burrowing Owls here: (species) athene cunicularia - WY Field Guide
Watch our Wildlife on Tap presentation with Andrea Orobana featuring burrowing owls below!