A WELL-GROUNDED OWL
By J.E. Rogers
When we
think about owls, we envision a huge bird sitting in a pine tree at night, a
full moon overhead, and a hoot echoing in the darkness. Not too long ago, I was
taking my son home when on the side of the road we saw an owl. We were awed by
his size and so grateful that we had caught a brief glimpse of him. I guessed
that he was a Great Horned Owl because he looked like this:
Photo credit: Ronald Laubenstein
– US Fish and Wildlife (public domain)
It was a
big bird, and we were stunned as it was the first time either one of us had
seen an owl at night in the wild.
The
sighting of the owl near my home, and a recent article about the status of the
Burrowing Owl prompted me to write this week’s post. We will be talking about
an owl that breaks all the norms we associate with owls. So, let’s learn a bit
about the Burrowing Owl.
Photo credit: M.
Wason/www.ardea.com
What
makes the Burrowing Owl different from other owls? It does not live in trees,
as you might have guessed from their name. The Burrowing Owl lives in nests
underground. An intelligent bird, the Burrowing Owl is capable of excavating
its own home but prefers to inhabit a burrow made by another mammal, such as
the prairie dog, ground squirrel or tortoise.
Photo credit: www.animalspot.net
Also,
unlike its typical tree-dwelling cousin, the Burrowing Owl is quite small. It
averages six to ten inches in height. Another distinct difference is its
hunting methods. The Burrowing Owl will hunt during the day for insects,
running along the ground to catch them. At night, it will track small mammals.
It is also known for placing dung near the entrance of its burrow to attract
beetles – an easily obtained meal.
Photo credit: Jean Hall/Audubon
Photography Awards
There
are twenty-two subspecies of Burrowing Owl. Here in the US, we have the Western
Burrowing Owl and the Florida Burrowing Owl. There is much concern for these birds
as their habitat is being destroyed. We also have to consider how they share
their environment with prairie dogs and ground squirrels. People are killing
prairie dogs and ground squirrels to control their populations. They are both
considered a menace. All of these animals are intrinsically connected within
their environment – the loss of one species profoundly effects the others. As a
result, these two North American species of Burrowing Owl are considered
endangered.
I know you’ll
enjoy this video. It’s narrated by a conservation biologist who is dedicated to
helping the Burrowing Owl survive.
Photo credit: M. Wason/www.ardea.com
If you would
like to read more about this wonderful little owl, click on any of the
following links.
Thanks
for stopping by to read about the Burrowing Owl. I do hope you’ll visit again.
Enjoy!
Jeanne E. Rogers, Award
Winning Author
The Sword of Demelza, The
Gift of Sunderland,
One Hot Mess, A Child’s
Environmental Fable, and
Kohana, A Native American
Creation Myth
Where Endangered Animal Heroes
Roam the Pages!
