Hear a story about the Burrowing Owl
Hear a Burrowing Owl

from The Birds of Texas
by John L. Tveten

One of the strangest and most beguiling members of the owl family is the burrowing owl. It lives in a hole in the ground, often on a treeless prairie or desert, and is most frequently seen standing beside its burrow or perched on a nearby fence post. Its long legs distinguish it from all other small owls.

Standing nine to ten inches tall, the burrowing owl is about the size of the common screech-owl, but its round head lacks the feathered "ear" tufts. Its face is framed with white and set off by a dark collar. White spots ornament the brown upperparts; the light underparts are spotted and barred in brown.

Burrowing owls occur over an amazingly wide range, from the prairie provinces of Canada southward through the western United States and the drier regions of Central and South America to Tierra del Fuego. Isolated populations also inhabit Florida and the West Indies. Those found in the northern states migrate southward for the winter.

These charming little owls breed locally in the Panhandle and West Texas, frequently associated with prairie dog villages, where they utilize the ready-made burrows and tunnel systems.

Grasses, roots and pieces of dried cow dung line the borrow and cushion the five to nine white eggs. Both parents care for the young, capturing insects, mice, lizards and other tasty morsels with their sharp raptorial talons.

Burrowing owls winter throughout Texas but are most frequent in the western portions of the state.

Excerpts from The Birds of Texas by John L. Tveten with permission from Shearer Publishing, Inc.

More Bird Facts Burrowing owls will also nest in the burrows of skunks and badgers. A decline in prairie dog towns has caused owl populations to decline as well. Unlike most owls, burrowing owls can be seen in the daytime.

Hear Interviews with Experts Monitoring Burrowing Owls

According to Iroquois legend . . .
from The Birds of Texas

Raweno, the Everything-Maker, was hard at work creating Rabbit while Owl, still unformed, watched from a nearby tree. Owl demanded a long neck like Swan's, bright red feathers like Cardinal's, a long beak like Egret's and plumes like Heron's. "Be quiet and turn around," warned Raweno, for no one was allowed to watch him work. When Owl persisted, Raweno grabbed him angrily. He punched his head down onto his body, shook him until his eyes grew huge with fright, and pulled his ears until they stuck up straight. Since Raweno worked by day, he sentenced Owl to be awake only at night, and he rubbed mud across his body to make him a dingy gray. Once released, Owl flew off moaning, "Whoo, whoo, whoo."