Burrowing Owl
Athene cunicularia
- Class
- Bird
- Rarity
- Common
- Observations
- 30,119
- Most observed in
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Description
The burrowing owl is a small, long-legged, primarily terrestrial—though not flightless—species of owl native to the open landscapes of North and South America. They are typically found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or any other open, dry area with low vegetation. They nest and roost in burrows, and, despite their common name, do not often construct these dwellings themselves, rather repurposing disused burrows or tunnels previously excavated and inhabited by other species, such as American badgers, foxes, ground squirrels or prairie dogs, among others.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Burrowing owl”.