There are a number of things which separate the
burrowing owl from other species. The first clue is in the name. Another is
that they are the smallest species of owl on the planet and more often or not
they do not weight more than half a pound in weight and reach around ten inches
in height. They also come out in the day time, unlike most other owls.
That is not a snake that the adult burrowing owl is
feeding to its chick. It's a caterpillar - which goes to show just how small
they are. They are also much more relaxed around humans than other species of
owls. They will happily colonize areas like airports and golf courses and have
even been known to nest in larger gardens. As long as there are open areas and a
good water supply they seem to be content to live near us.
This tiny owl is found throughout North and South
America. They prefer to nest in grasslands or even deserts, preferring
surroundings with little plant life and where it is nice and dry for them. They
spend a lot of the day outside their roost, which is often an old squirrel or
prairie dog burrow. You can see how minute they really are when you see how
large the squirrel in this picture looks - even though it is
behind the
burrowing owls.
Although you can see burrowing owls in the day
time they will often retreat to their nest when the sun is at its highest and
have a snooze. One aspect of their behavior that they do share with other owls,
however, is that they tend to hunt at night, from dusk till dawn. Their
extraordinary night vision makes this the best time to go on the hunt for food.
This means that their daytime activities are more often than not social – they
do enjoy basking in the sun as a family.
Talking of families, the burrowing owl can lay up to an
enormous twelve eggs. However, usually only about four or five will make it to
adulthood. Although the burrowing owls will mate for life they sometimes live in
colonies – there is safety in numbers. However that does mean that the
occasional male is unable to resist the temptation of taking on two
mates.
It is difficult to tell the genders apart. They are
close in size but the males will have slightly longer wing and tail length and
are usually appear lighter in color. This is because the males spend more time
outside the burrow. The feathers are the same color but the male’s are bleached
a lighter hue by the sun.
The burrowing owl is only a little larger than the
American Robin. They are about 7.5 (19 cm) inches long and have a wing span of
about 20 inches (50 cm). Possibly because of their tiny size they have, unlike
other owls, adapted to eat seed and fruit. They particularly like prickly
pear.
When they are hunting they will perch and watch, often
on one leg. When they catch sight of their quarry they will swoop down upon it,
even running after it on foot. They are also adept at spotting flying insects
which they catch by lunging upwards in flight. You have already seen the size of
the owl compared to a ground squirrel so you might assume that they steer clear
of them. Remarkably, however, the burrowing owl has been known to hunt and kill
that feast known as squirrel.
They sometimes use diversionary tactics when
hunting. When they have spied their prey they creep up on it from behind rocks.
They slowly but surely get closer and closer. Then they take a pebble in one
claw and throw it over the head of their prey. When the prey turns around to see
what made the noise, the owl silently leaps upon it and that’s dinner
caught.
It is sometimes assumed that the burrowing owl does not
create its own burrow as often they will take over those abandoned by mammalian
species. Yet if the ground is light they will create their own. They will even
use man-made holes – as long as they can quickly and easily get to the surface
and away from the burrow.
It does not take the chicks long to develop the
ability to fly. In less than a month they are able to leave the nest, take short
flights and learn how to hunt. However, mom and dad will usually continue to
help out with food for a further two months. After that the chicks are on their
own.
One
strange habit they have is to pick up mammal dung and dump it at the opening of
their burrow. It was thought, first of all, that this was to stop predators
sniffing out the young owls before they could learn to fly. It is now thought
that they deposit the dung so close to the burrow to attract insects which they
then kill and feed to their chicks. Burrowing owls like fast food, it seems.
