Burrowing Owl (Speotyto cunicularia)

Special Segments Butterflies of North America Conifers of North America Eastern Birds List of N.A. Insects Home Eastern Wildflowers General Topics Natural History Ecology Family Environment Evolution Home Education Home Conservation Geophysics Paleontology Commercial Organizations

A Field Guide to Eastern Birds. by Roger Tory Peterson.

Return to Eastern Owls

Color Photograph: U.S. Bureau of Land Management

Color Photograph: U.S. Department of Energy

Burrowing Owl (Speotyto cunicularia)

Identification: Length from tip of bill to tip of tail 9 inches. A diurnal and largely terrestrial bird of open spaces. Body color light brown, speckled with white. Head without ear-like tufts of feathers. Top of facial disks edged with white "eyebrows". Neck with a dark brown collar. The legs are elongate and closely feathered.

Similar Species:  The Burrowing Owl is unlikely to be confused with any other owl species.

Breeding Range (see map below): The Burrowing Owl is resident or breeds throughout most of the western and central United States and northward into south-central Canada. The species is also resident in the southern half of Florida. The bird's range extends into the tropical New World.

Overwintering Range:  Individuals overwinter in eastern and southern Texas.

Habitat: The Burrowing Owl is found in prairie, desert, fields, and pastures.

Food: This owl takes a wide variety of prey species including insects, small mammals, birds, and herps.

Behavior:  The Burrowing Owl lives in burrow systems usually taken over from prairie dogs or pocket gophers. The birds are typically found standing around the entrance to the burrow. If approached too closely, they bob up and down, and escape down the burrow rather than flying off. The voice is a cackling alarm. At night they make a 2 note coo-coo.

Reproduction:  The clutch consists of 5 to 7 white eggs. The eggs are laid in a burrow lined with grasses and roots.