burrowing owl home page

The Burrowing Owl, Athene cunicularia, is a small brown owl with long legs that lives in previously dug underground burrows in the western U.S. and southern Canada as well as in southern Florida. This diurnal ground-dweller may "decorate" the entrance to its underground home with everything from sticks and paper to cow dung. Fledgings in the burrow will imitate the whirr of a rattle snake when predators approach the nest. In Florida, this species is threatened by urban sprawl (see the book and movie "Hoot") while out west, the large-scale eradication of the prairie dog has meant fewer holes for nesting. This species is nicknamed the "Howdy Owl" for its habit of bobbing its head up and down while sizing up potential threats.

Bill: Grayish yellow
Chick: Sparse grayish down
Diet: Large insects, small mammals
Distribution: Western U.S. and southwestern Canada, as well as central and southern Florida
Ear "tufts": No
Eggs: 5 to 6
Eyes: Yellow
Feathers: Brown, with sandy-colored facial disc
Flight: Buoyant, sometimes erratic, may hover above prey
Habitat: Prairies, deserts, airports, farms
Height: 8"-11"
Nicknames: Badger Hole Owl, Billy Owl, Comic of the Plains, Cuckoo Owl, Gopher Owl, Ground Owl, Hill Owl, Howdy Owl, Long-Legged Owl, Prairie Bobber, Prairie Owl, Prairie Dog Owl, Rattlesnake Owl, Tunnel Owl
Subspecies in North America: Athene cunicularia hypugaea (west), Athene cunicularia floridana (Florida)
Weight: less than 1/2 pound

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Edgar Rice Burrows!


Burrowing Owl Home Page







Howdy, gang! Welcome to my home page! I am a Burrowing Owl (scientific name Athene cunicularia) named Edgar Rice Burrows. My hobbies include home decorating (sprucing up the nest entrance with songbird feathers and the like, a little cow dung, whatever) and excavating (though to tell you the truth, I prefer to leave the majority of the burrow-digging chores to those industrious prairie dogs whenever possible). I like fields containing holes (as well I might!) and my favorite food is locusts (though I'll scarf down a readily available mouse as fast as any of the bigger North American owls). I live mainly in the western United States, but I am also to be found in southern Florida (for reasons that, I'll be the first to admit, are not entirely clear to me). In the esthetics department, I've gone for the "tuftless look," with nice yellow eyes, a modest-sized facial disc, and long, thin legs. Oh, yeah, and they call me the "Howdy Owl" on account of I sometimes bob my head up and down when I'm looking for prey or whatever. (Or maybe I'm actually saying "Howdy." You never know, do you?)

Well, thanks for visiting. I'd better go tend to my fledglings now. I can already hear them clamoring for more locusts! (Pipe down, you lot! Do you want the neighbor's dog to know where you are?!)

Yo, Dude, Check out my Burrowing Owl Crossword Puzzle!

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