Burrowing Owl
Northern Burrowing Owl Athene cunicularia hypugaea
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Subclass: Neornithes Infraclass: Neognathae Superorder: Neoaves Order: Strigiformes Family: Strigidae Genus: Athene Species: A. cunicularia
Binomial name
Athene cunicularia (Molina, 1782)
Subspecies
About 20 living, see text Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1454 × 1938 pixel, file size: 883 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn3. ... Least Concern (LC) is an IUCN category assigned to extant species or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. ... The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicates Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... For other meanings of bird, see bird (disambiguation). ... Orders Many - see section below. ... Orders Anseriformes, waterfowl Galliformes, fowl Gaviiformes, loons Podicipediformes, grebes Procellariiformes, albatrosses, petrels, and allies Sphenisciformes, penguins Pelecaniformes, pelicans and allies Ciconiiformes, storks and allies Phoenicopteriformes, flamingos Accipitriformes, eagles, hawks and allies Falconiformes, falcons Turniciformes, button-quail Gruiformes, cranes and allies Charadriiformes, plovers and allies Pteroclidiformes, sandgrouse Columbiformes, doves and pigeons... For uses of the word Owl as a three letter acronym, see OWL. Families Strigidae Tytonidae An owl is any of some 200+ species of solitary nocturnal birds of prey in the order Strigiformes. ... Genera Aegolius: saw-whet owls Asio: eared owls Athene Bubo: horned owls Ciccaba Glaucidium: pygmy owls Jubula Ketupa Lophostrix Micrathene: elf owls Mimizuku Nesasio Ninox Otus: scops owls Pseudoscops Pulsatrix Pyrroglaux: palau owls Sceloglaux Scotopelia Speotyto Strix: earless owls Surnia: hawk owls Uroglaux Xenoglaux Typical owls (family Strigidae) are one... Species Athene blewitti Athene brama Athene cunicularia Athene noctua The Athene genus contains four small owls; Burrowing Owl, Athene cunicularia Spotted Owlet, Athene brama Forest Owlet, Athene blewitti Little Owl, Athene noctua These owls are small, brown and white speckled owls, with yellow eyes and white eyebrows. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Father Juan Ignacio Molina (June 24, 1740 - September 12, 1829) was a Chilean priest and naturalist. ... 1782 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... This article is about the zoological term. ...
Synonyms
Strix cunicularia Molina, 1782 Speotyto cunicularia Spheotyto cunicularia (lapsus) In scientific nomenclature, synonyms are different scientific names used for a single taxon. ...

The Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) is a small, long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or any other dry, open area with low vegetation^[1]. They nest and roost in burrows, such as those abandoned by prairie dogs. Unlike most owls, burrowing owls are often active during the day, although they tend to avoid the mid-day heat. Most hunting is still done at dusk or at night, when their owl apomorphies give them an advantage. Genera Aegolius: saw-whet owls Asio: eared owls Athene Bubo: horned owls Ciccaba Glaucidium: pygmy owls Jubula Lophostrix Micrathene: elf owls Mimizuku Nesasio Ninox Otus: scops owls Pseudoscops Pulsatrix Pyrroglaux: palau owls Sceloglaux Scotopelia Speotyto Strix: earless owls Surnia: hawk owls Uroglaux Xenoglaux Typical owls (family Strigidae) are one of... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... The Konza tallgrass prairie in the Flint Hills of northeastern Kansas. ... Rangeland refers to a large, mostly unimproved section of land that is predominantly used for livestock grazing. ... This article is about arid terrain. ... Roost Records (also known as Royal Roost Records) was a record label established in 1949, primarily to record jazz, taking its secondary name from the New York club with which it was associated. ... Species Cynomys gunnisoni Cynomys leucurus Cynomys ludovicianus Cynomys mexicanus Cynomys parvidens Prairie dogs are small stout-bodied burrowing rodents with shallow cheek pouches native to both North and Central America. ... A diurnal animal (dī-ŭrnəl) is an animal that is active during the daytime and sleeps during the night. ... Adult Firefly or Lightning Bug – a Crepuscular Beetle Photuris lucicrescens Crepuscular is a term used to describe animals that are primarily active during the twilight. ... A nocturnal animal is one that sleeps during the day and is active at night - the opposite of the human (diurnal) schedule. ... This cladogram shows the relationship among various insect groups. ...

Burrowing owls are able to live for at least 9 years in the wild and over 10 years in captivity.^{[citation needed]} They are often killed by vehicles when crossing roads, and have many natural enemies, including badgers, coyotes, and snakes. They are also killed by both feral and domestic cats and dogs. Genera  Arctonyx  Melogale  Meles  Mellivora  Taxidea For other uses, see Badger (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Coyote (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Snake (disambiguation). ... A feral horse (an American mustang) in Wyoming A feral animal or plant is one that has escaped from domestication and returned, partly or wholly, to its wild state. ... Look up Domestic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Binomial name Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758 Synonyms Felis lybica invalid junior synonym The cat (or domestic cat, house cat) is a small carnivorous mammal. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domestic subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. ...

Description

Burrowing Owl

Burrowing owls have bright yellow eyes. The beak can be yellow or greenish depending on the subspecies. The legs are incompletely feathered, and the toes are grayish in color. They lack ear tufts and have a flattened facial disc. The owls have prominent white eyebrows and a white "chin" patch which they expand and display during certain behaviors. Burrowing Owl from USGS Source: U.S. Geological Survey,Columbia Environmental Research Center File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Burrowing Owl from USGS Source: U.S. Geological Survey,Columbia Environmental Research Center File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The term supercilium is a name for a plumage feature present on the heads of many bird species. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Adult owls have brown upperparts with white spotting. The breast and belly are white with variable brown spotting or barring. Juvenile owls are similar in appearance, but they lack most of the white spotting above and brown barring below. Also, the young owls have a buff bar across the upper wing and their breast may be buffy rather than white.

Males and females are similar in size and appearance. However, adult males sometimes appear lighter in color because they spend more time outside the burrow during daylight, and their feathers become sun-bleached. The average adult is slightly larger than an American Robin, at 25 cm (10 inches) length, 53 cm (21 inches) wingspan, and 170g (6 oz) weight^[1]. Binomial name Linnaeus, 1766 The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is a migratory songbird of the thrush family. ...

Vocalizations

The typical "who who" call of a burrowing owl is associated with territory defense and breeding, and is often given by adult males to attract a female to a promising burrow. They also make other sounds, which are described as chucks, chattering, and screams. These sounds are usually accompanied by an up and down bobbing of the head. When alarmed, young birds will give a hissing call that sounds like a rattlesnake, a case of acoustic Batesian mimicry^[2]. Blackbird (Turdus merula), singing male. ... Species 27 species; see list of rattlesnake species and subspecies. ... For other uses, see Mimic (disambiguation). ...

Taxonomy and systematics

The burrowing owl is sometimes separated in the monotypic genus Speotyto. This is based on an overall different morphology and karyotype. On the other hand, osteology and DNA sequence data suggests that the Burrowing Owl is just a terrestrial version of the Athene little owls, and it is today placed in that genus by most authorities. Monotypic is an adjective, that refers to a taxonomic group with only one type: in botany it means that a taxon has only one species; Ginkgo is a monotypic genus, while Ginkgoaceae is a monotypic family. ... For other uses, see Genus (disambiguation). ... The term morphology in biology refers to the outward appearance (shape, structure, colour, pattern) of an organism or taxon and its component parts. ... Karyogram of human male using Giemsa staining. ... Osteology is the scientific study of bones. ... part of a DNA sequence A DNA sequence (sometimes genetic sequence) is a succession of letters representing the primary structure of a real or hypothetical DNA molecule or strand, The possible letters are A, C, G, and T, representing the four nucleotide subunits of a DNA strand (adenine, cytosine, guanine... Terrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land, as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water (e. ...

A considerable number of subspecies have been described, but they differ little in appearance and the taxonomy of several needs to be validated^[3]. Most subspecies are found in the Andes and the Antilles. Only A. c. hypugaea and A. c. floridana are found in North America. Although distinct from each other, the relationship of the Floridan subspecies to (and its distinctness from) the Caribbean birds is not quite clear^[4]. This article is about the zoological term. ... For the science of classifying living things, see alpha taxonomy. ... This article is about the mountain system in South America. ... The Antilles (the same in French; Antillas in Spanish; Antillen in Dutch) refers to the islands forming the greater part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. ...

Subspecies List

• A. c. cunicularia (Molina, 1782): Southern Burrowing Owl – Lowlands of S Bolivia and S Brazil south to Tierra del Fuego.
• A. c. grallaria (Temminck, 1822): Brazilian Burrowing Owl – Central and E Brazil.
• A. c. hypugaea (Bonaparte, 1825): Northern (or Western) Burrowing Owl – S Canada through Great Plains south to Central America.
• A. c. floridana (Ridgway, 1874): Floridan Burrowing Owl – Florida and Bahamas (Caribbean).
• A. c. guadeloupensis (Ridgway, 1874): Guadeloupe Burrowing Owl – Formerly Guadeloupe and Marie-Galante Islands: Extinct (c.1890)
• A. c. amaura (Lawrence, 1878): Antiguan Burrowing Owl – Formerly Antigua, Saint Kitts, and Nevis Islands: Extinct (c.1905)
• A. c. troglodytes (Wetmore & Swales, 1886): Hispaniolan Burrowing Owl – Hispaniola, Gonâve Island, and Beata Island.
• A. c. rostrata (C. H. Townsend, 1890): Revillagigedo Burrowing Owl – Isla Clarión, Revillagigedo Islands.
• A. c. nanodes (Berlepsch & Stolzmann, 1892): Southwest Peruvian Burrowing Owl – SW Peru.
• A. c. brachyptera (Richmond, 1896): Margarita Burrowing Owl – Isla Margarita.
• A. c. tolimae (Stone, 1899): West Colombian Burrowing Owl – W Colombia.
• A. c. juninensis (Berlepsch & Stolzmann, 1902): South Andean Burrowing Owl – Andes from Central Peru to NW Argentina.
• A. c. punensis (Chapman, 1914): Puna Burrowing Owl – Altiplano region around Peruvian-Ecuadorian border. Probably a junior synonym of A. c. juninensis.
• A. c. arubensis (Cory, 1915): Aruba Burrowing Owl – Aruba.
• A. c. intermedia (Cory, 1915): West Peruvian Burrowing Owl – W Peru. Possibly a synonym of A. c. nanodes.
• A. c. minor (Cory, 1918): Guyanan Burrowing Owl – S Guyana and Roraima region.
• A. c. carrikeri (Stone, 1922): East Colombian Burrowing Owl – E Colombia. (Possibly a junior synonym of A. c. tolimae)
• A. c. pichinchae (Boetticher, 1929): West Ecuadorean Burrowing Owl – W Ecuador.
• A. c. boliviana (L. Kelso, 1939): Bolivian Burrowing Owl – Bolivian altiplano.
• A. c. apurensis (Gilliard, 1940): Venezuelan Burrowing Owl – NW Venezuela. Possibly a synonym of A. c. brachyptera.
• A. c. partridgei (Olrog, 1976): Corrientes Burrowing Owl – Corrientes Province, Argentina. Probably a synonym of A. c. cunicularia.
• A. c. guantanamensis (Garrido, 2001): Cuban Burrowing Owl – Cuba and Isla de la Juventud.

A paleosubspecies, A. c. providentiae, has been described from fossil remains from the Pleistocene of the Bahamas. How these birds relate to the extant A. c. floridana - that is, whether they were among the ancestors of that subspecies, or whether they represented a more distant lineage that completely disappeared later - is unknown. Father Juan Ignacio Molina (June 24, 1740 - September 12, 1829) was a Chilean priest and naturalist. ... 1782 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Coenraad Jacob Temminck (March 31, 1778 - January 30, 1858) was a Dutch aristocrat and zoologist. ... 1822 (MDCCCXXII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Charles Lucien Jules Laurent Bonaparte (May 24, 1803 _ July 29, 1857) was a French naturalist and ornithologist. ... Year 1825 (MDCCCXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Great Plains (disambiguation). ... Robert Ridgway. ... Year 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... West Indies redirects here. ... Marie-Galante, an island of the Caribbean Sea in the Guadeloupe archipelago of the French West Indies, and as part of the Guadeloupe Département doutre-mer, is a constitutional part of France. ... In biology and ecology, extinction is the ceasing of existence of a species or group of species. ... Year 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar). ... George Newbold Lawrence (October 20, 1806 - January 17, 1895) was an American businessman and amateur ornithologist. ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Country Saint Kitts and Nevis Archipelago Leeward Islands Region Caribbean Area 65 sq. ... For other uses, see Nevis (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ... Frank Alexander Wetmore (June 18, 1886 _ December 7, 1978) was an American ornithologist and avian paleontologist. ... Year 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Early map of Hispaniola Hispaniola (from Spanish, La Española) is the second-largest and most populous island of the Antilles, lying between the islands of Cuba to the west, and Puerto Rico to the east. ... Gonave Island from space, February 1994 The reef-fringed Gonave Island is located to the west-northwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti in the Gulf of Gonave (). Made up of mostly limestone, the island of Gonave is 60 km (37 miles) long and 15 km (9 miles) wide and covers... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... NASA Satellite Image Isla Clarión, formerly called Santa Rosa, is the second largest, westernmost and most remote of the Revillagigedo Islands, 314 km west of Socorro Island, at . ... The Revillagigedo Islands (or Revillagigedo Archipelago), not to be confused with Revillagigedo Island of Alaska, are a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean at approximately 18° N 112° W. They are part of Manzanillo municipality of the Mexican state of Colima and lie 386 km southwest of Cabo San... Count Hans Hermann Carl Ludwig von Berlepsch (1850 - February 27, 1915) was a German ornithologist. ... Jan Sztolcman (Jean Stanislaus Stolzmann) (1854-April 28, 1928) was a Polish ornithologist. ... Year 1892 (MDCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Charles Wallace Richmond (1868 - 1932) was an American Nicaragua he joined the staff of the United States National Museum in Washington DC. In 1894 he was appointed Assistant Curator of Birds, later becoming Curator. ... Year 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar). ... Puerto Cruz beach. ... Year 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Puno, Peru, is one of larger cities of the Altiplano. ... In zoological nomenclature, synonyms are different scientific names that pertain to the same taxon, for example two names for the same species. ... Charles Barney Cory (January 31, 1857 _ July 31, 1921) was an American ornithologist. ... Year 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday[1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Flag of Roraima See other Brazilian States Capital Boa Vista Largest City Boa Vista Area 225,116. ... Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 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The Pleistocene epoch (IPA: ) on the geologic timescale is the period from 1,808,000 to 11,550 years BP. The Pleistocene epoch had been intended to cover the worlds recent period of repeated glaciations. ...

In addition, prehistoric fossils of similar owls have been recovered from many islands in the Caribbean (Barbuda, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Mona Island, and Puerto Rico). These birds became extinct towards the end of the Pleistocene, probably because of ecological and sea-level changes at the end of the last ice age rather than human activity. These fossil owls differed in size from present-day burrowing owls, and their relationship to the modern taxon has not been resolved. Barbuda is an island in the Antigua and Barbuda. ... Mona Mona (a. ... For considerations of sea level change, in particular rise associated with possible global warming, see sea level rise. ... This article or section should be merged with Wisconsinan glaciation The Wisconsin (in North America), Weichsel (in Scandinavia), Devensian (in the British Isles) or Würm glaciation (in the Alps) is the most recent period of the Ice Age, and ended some 10,000 Before Present (BP). ... A taxon (plural taxa), or taxonomic unit, is a grouping of organisms (named or unnamed). ...

Distribution

Before European colonization, burrowing owls probably inhabited every suitable area of the New World, but they have experienced some restrictions in distribution since. However, in parts of South America they are expanding their range with deforestation. Frontispiece of Peter Martyr dAnghieras De orbe novo (On the New World). Carte dAmérique, Guillaume Delisle, 1722. ...

They range from the southern portions of the western Canadian provinces through southern Mexico and western Central America. They are also found in Florida and many Caribbean islands. In South America, they are patchy in the northwest and through the Andes, but widely distributed from southern Brazil to Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. Patagonia, as most commonly defined (in orange). ... Tierra del Fuego Cerro Sombrero Village, Chile. ...

Burrowing owls are year-round residents in most of their range. Birds that breed in Canada and northern USA usually migrate south to Mexico and southern USA during winter months. Flock of Barnacle Geese during autumn migration Bird migration refers to the regular seasonal journeys of varying distances undertaken by many species of birds. ...

Diet

The highly variable diet includes small mammals, small birds, snakes, lizards, frogs, insects, and scorpions. But the owls mainly eat large insects and small rodents. Although burrowing owls often live in close proximity to ground squirrels, they rarely prey upon them. Unlike other owls, they also eat fruits and seeds, especially the fruit of tasajillo (Cylindropuntia leptocaulis) and other prickly pear and cholla cacti. On Clarión Island, where where mammalian prey is lacking, they feed essentially on crickets and prickly pear fruit, adding Clarión Wrens and young Mourning Doves on occasion^[5]. When hunting they wait on a perch until they spot prey. Then they swoop down on prey or fly up to catch insects in flight. Sometimes they chase prey on foot across the ground. Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of sweat glands, including those that produce milk, and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... lizards are pink and become very aggressive when they see other females. ... Distribution of frogs (in black) Suborders Archaeobatrachia Mesobatrachia Neobatrachia - List of Anuran families The frogness babe is an amphibian in the order Anura (meaning tail-less from Greek an-, without + oura, tail), formerly referred to as Salientia (Latin saltare, to jump). ... Orders Subclass Apterygota Archaeognatha (bristletails) Thysanura (silverfish) Subclass Pterygota Infraclass Paleoptera (Probably paraphyletic) Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Infraclass Neoptera Superorder Exopterygota Grylloblattodea (ice-crawlers) Mantophasmatodea (gladiators) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Embioptera (webspinners) Zoraptera (angel insects) Dermaptera (earwigs) Orthoptera (grasshoppers, etc) Phasmatodea (stick insects) Blattodea (cockroaches) Isoptera (termites) Mantodea (mantids) Psocoptera... For other uses, see Scorpion (disambiguation). ... Suborders Sciuromorpha Castorimorpha Myomorpha Anomaluromorpha Hystricomorpha Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously-growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing. ... Species Many, see text Opuntia is a genus in the cactus family Cactaceae. ... Species Many, see text Opuntia is a genus in the cactus family Cactaceae. ... Clarion Island - Landsat Image N-11-15_2000 (1:50,000) Clarion Island - Marplot Map (1:50,000) Isla Clarión, formerly called Santa Rosa, is the second largest, westernmost and most remote of the Revillagigedo Islands, 314 km west of Socorro Island and over 700 km from the Mexican mainland. ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of sweat glands, including those that produce milk, and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex... This article is about the sport. ... Binomial name Townsend, 1890 The Clarión Wren (Troglodytes tanneri) is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family. ... Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) Winter only (blue), summer only (light green), and year-round (dark green) range Subspecies See text The Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) is a member of the dove family Columbidae. ...

Reproduction

A family of burrowing owls.

The nesting season begins in late March or April in North America. Burrowing owls are usually monogamous, but occasionally a male will have two mates^[1]. Pairs of owls will sometimes nest in loose colonies. Their typical breeding habitat is open grassland or prairie, but they can occasionally adapt to other open areas like airports, golf courses, and agricultural fields. Burrowing owls are slightly tolerant of human presence, often nesting near roads, farms, homes, and regularly maintained irrigation canals. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1570x1029, 551 KB) Burrowing owl family - Corujas - casal e filhotes Autor: José Reynaldo da Fonseca File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Burrowing Owl Metadata This file contains... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1570x1029, 551 KB) Burrowing owl family - Corujas - casal e filhotes Autor: José Reynaldo da Fonseca File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Burrowing Owl Metadata This file contains... In monogamy (Greek: monos = single/only and gamos = marriage) a person has only one spouse at a time (as opposed to polygamy). ... For other uses, see Prairie (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Canal (disambiguation). ...

A burrowing owl makes a home out of a buried piece of pipe.

The owls nest in an underground burrow, hence the name Burrowing Owl. They use burrows created by other burrowing animals such as prairie dogs, ground squirrels, or badgers^[3]. If burrows are unavailable and the soil is not hard or rocky, the owls may excavate their own. Burrowing owls will also nest in shallow, underground, man-made structures that have easy access to the surface. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (820x615, 221 KB) Summary A burrowing owl makes a home out of a piece of buried pipe. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (820x615, 221 KB) Summary A burrowing owl makes a home out of a piece of buried pipe. ... Deep cup nest of the Great Reed-warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. ... Species Cynomys gunnisoni Cynomys leucurus Cynomys ludovicianus Cynomys mexicanus Cynomys parvidens The prairie dog (Cynomys) is a small, burrowing rodent native to the grasslands of North America. ... Genera Ammospermophilus Spermophilus Cynomys Marmota Tamias Sciurotamias The ground squirrels are all members of the Sciuridae most closely related to the genus Marmota and included in the tribe Marmotini. ...

A burrowing owl on the lookout.

The female will lay an egg every 1 or 2 days until she has completed a clutch, which can consist of 4-12 eggs (usually 9). She will then incubate the eggs for three to four weeks while the male brings her food. After the eggs hatch both parents will feed the chicks. Four weeks after hatching, the chicks are able to make short flights and begin leaving the nest burrow. The parents will still help feed the chicks for 1 to 3 months. While most of the eggs will hatch, only four to five chicks usually survive to leave the nest. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (3456 × 2304 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (3456 × 2304 pixel, file size: 2. ... A clutch of blackbird (Turdus merula) eggs. ... The word incubate in the context of birds refers to the development of the chick (embryo) within the egg and the constant temperature required for the development of it over a specific period. ... Fledge is the stage in a young birds life when the feathers and wing muscles are sufficiently developed for flight. ...

During the nesting season, burrowing owls will collect mammal dung, usually from cattle, in and around their burrow. The dung helps to control the microclimate inside the burrow and to attract insects, which the owls may eat^[6]. Dung can refer to: (what lana belchers face looks like) Look up dung in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Site fidelity rates appear to vary among populations. In some locations, owls will frequently reuse a nest several years in a row. Owls in migratory northern populations are less likely to return to the same burrow every year. Also, as with many other birds, the female owls are more likely to disperse to a different site than are male owls^[7]. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Conservation

The burrowing owl is endangered in Canada^[8], threatened in Mexico, and a species of special concern in Florida and most of the western USA. It is common and widespread in open regions of many Neotropical countries, where they sometimes even inhabit fields and parks in cities. In regions bordering the Amazon Rainforest they are spreading with deforestation. It is therefore listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List^[9]. Burrowing owls are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. They are also included in CITES Appendix II. An endangered species is a species whose population is so small that it is in danger of becoming extinct. ... Threatened species refers to animal and plant species under a serious, but perhaps not imminent, threat of extinction. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... Neotropical or Neotropic relates to a biogeographical region in the New World, bordered in the north by the dry areas in Mexico and the southern states of the USA. in the south by southern Patagonia. ... Map of the Amazon rainforest ecoregions as delineated by the WWF. Yellow line encloses the Amazon rainforest. ... This article is about the process of deforestation in the environment. ... Least Concern (LC) is an IUCN category assigned to extant species or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. ... The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... Under United States Code Title 16, Chapter 7, Subchapter II, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 is the United States legislation implementing the convention between the U.S. and Great Britain (for Canada). ... The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement between Governments, drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of the World Conservation Union (IUCN). ...

The major reasons for declining populations in North America are control programs for prairie dogs and loss of habitat, although burrowing owls readily inhabit some anthropogenic landscapes, such as airport grasslands or golf courses. Genetic analysis of the two North American subspecies indicates that inbreeding is not a problem within those populations.^[4] Habitat (which is Latin for it inhabits) is the place where a particular species live and grow. ... Look up anthropogenic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the sport of golf. ... Inbreeding is breeding between close relatives, whether plant or animal. ...

Where there presence of Burrowing Owls conflicts with development interests, a passive relocation technique has been applied successfully: rather than capturing the birds and transporting them to a new site (which may be stressful and prome to failure), the owls are half-coerced half-enticed to move on theor own accord. The preparations need to start several months prior to the anticipated disturbance with observing the owl colony and noting especially their local movements and site preferences. After choosing a location nearby that has suitable ground and provides good Burrowing Owl breeding habitat, this new site is enhanced by adding burrows, perches, etc. Once the owls have accustomed to the changes and are found to be interested in the location - if any possible, this should be at the onset of spring, before the breeding season starts - they are hindered to enter the old burrows. A simple one-way trapdoor design has been described that is placed over the burrow for this purpose^[10]. If everything has been corretly prepared, the owl colony will move over to the new site in the course of a few nights at most. It will need to be monitored occasionally for the following months or until the major human construction nearby has ended.^[11] A trapdoor is a door set into a floor or ceiling (depending on what side of the door one is on). ...

Burrowing owls in popular culture

In fiction

Carl Hiaasen's young adult novel Hoot (2002) is about a group of school kids trying to stop the planned construction of a pancake house that would go hand in hand with the destruction of the burrowing owls' habitat in a small town in Florida. Live burrowing owls were featured in the movie adaptation (see below). Carl Hiaasen (IPA pronunciation: ) (born March 12, 1953) is an American journalist and novelist. ... Hoot is a young adult novel by Carl Hiaasen. ... See also: 2001 in literature, other events of 2002, 2003 in literature, list of years in literature. ...

There is also a burrowing owl named Digger featured in the Guardians of Ga'hoole series by Kathryn Lasky. Guardians of GaHoole is The New York Times bestselling book series written by Kathryn Lasky and illustrated by Richard Cowdrey. ...

In film

New Line and Walden Media released Hoot to wide theatrical release on May 5, 2006, a story about three kids saving a population of Florida burrowing owls. In computing, a newline is a special character or sequence of characters indicating the end of a line. ... Walden Media is a film production and publishing company best known as the producers of The Chronicles of Narnia film series. ... Hoot is a 2006 film based on Carl Hiassens novel of the same name. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In music

The Philadelphia-based 1980s satirical pop punk band Dead Milkmen wrote "Stuart", a narrative song in which the narrator expresses incredulity at the sight of a neighbor kid looking for his pet "burrow owl" in a tree: For other uses, see Philadelphia (disambiguation) and Philly. ... Pop punk is used for two separate subgenres of punk rock music: the kind typically found on Lookout! Records, which stray very little from the three-chord formula that The Ramones pioneered, as well as a newer subgenre of melodic, more emotional punk, which includes by bands like NOFX and... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

"Jumpin Jesus on a pogo stick. Everyone knows that a burrow owl lives in a hole in the ground! Why the hell do you think they call it a burrow owl, anyway?"

In addition to "Stuart", the burrowing owl has been included, sometimes subtly, at other times not, in other songs by the Dead Milkmen, including the repeated chanting of its name by high pitched voices in the background of the song "Smokin' Banana Peels".

Footnotes

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Athene cunicularia

• BirdLife International (BLI) (2004). Athene cunicularia. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
• Brattstrom, Bayard H. & Howell, Thomas R. (1956): The Birds of the Revilla Gigedo Islands, Mexico. Condor 58(2): 107-120. doi:10.2307/1364977 PDF fulltext DjVu fulltext
• Clark, H.O. Jr. & Plumpton, D.L. (2005): A simple one-way door design for passive relocation of Western Burrowing Owls. California Fish and Game 91: 286-289.
• DeSante, D.F.; Ruhlen, E.D. & Rosenberg, D.K. (2004): Density and abundance of burrowing owls in the agricultural matrix of the Imperial Valley, California. Studies in Avian Biology 27: 116-119. PDF fulltext
• Environment Canada (2006): Species at Risk - Burrowing Owl. Version of 2006-MAY-08. Retrieved 2007-AUG-16.
• Haug, E.A.; Milsap, B.A. & Martell, M.S. (1993): Burrowing owl (Speotyto cunicularia). In: Poole, A. & Gill, F. (eds.): The Birds of North America 61. Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA & American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. Online version, retrieved 2006-DEC-26. doi:10.2173/bna.61 (requires subscription)
• Holt, D.W.; Berkley, R.; Deppe, C.; Enríquez Rocha, P.L.; Petersen, J.L.; Rangel Salazar, J.L.; Segars, K.P. & Wood, K.L. (1999): 155. Burrowing Owl. In: del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; and Sargatal, J. (eds.) (1999): Handbook of Birds of the World (Volume 5: Barn-owls to Hummingbirds): 227-228, plate 17. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN 84-87334-25-3
• Konig, C.; Weick, F. & Becking, J.-H. (1999): Owls: A guide to the owls of the world. Yale University Press, New Haven. ISBN 0300079206
• Klute, D.S.; Ayers, L.W.; Green, M.T.; Howe, W.H.; Jones, S.L.; Shaffer, J.A.; Sheffield, S.R. & Zimmerman, T.S. (2003): Status assessment and conservation plan for the western burrowing owl in the United States. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Technical Publication FWS/BTP-R6001-2003. US Dept of Interior, Washington, D.C. PDF fulltext
• Korfanta, N.M.; McDonald, D.B. & Glenn, T.C. (2005): Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) population genetics: A comparison of North American forms and migratory habits. Auk 122(2): 464-478. [English with Spanish abstract] DOI:10.1642/0004-8038(2005)122[0464:BOACPG]2.0.CO;2 PDF fulltext
• Levey, D.J.; Duncan, R.S. & Levins, C.F. (2004): Use of dung as a tool by burrowing owls. Nature 431(7004): 39. PMID 15343324 doi:10.1038/431039a PDF fulltext
• Lewis, D.P. (2005): Burrowing Owl - Athene cunicularia. OwlPages.com Owl Species ID: 220.040.000. Version of 2005-APR-24; retrieved 2006-DEC-26.
• Lutz, R.S. & Plumpton, D.L. (1999): Philopatry and nest site reuse by burrowing owls: implications for productivity. Journal of Raptor Research 33: 149-153.
• Moulton, C.E.; Brady, R.S. & Belthoff, J.R. (2005): A comparison of breeding season food habits of burrowing owls nesting in agricultural and nonagricultural habitat in Idaho. Journal of Raptor Research 39: 429-438. PDF fulltext
• Trulio, Lynne A. (1995): Passive relocation: A method to preserve burrowing owls on disturbed sites. Journal of Field Ornithology 66(11): 99-106. PDF fulltext DjVu fulltext

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... The Condor is the quarterly journal of the Cooper Ornithological Society. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... Environment Canada is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for coordinating environmental policies and programs as well as preserving and enhancing the natural environment and conservation of wildlife. ... The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia was founded in 1812 to expand knowledge of the natural world. ... The American Ornithologists Union (AOU) an ornithological organization in the USA. Unlike the National Audubon Society, its members are primarily professional ornithologists rather than amateur birders. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... Handbook of Birds of the World vol. ... The Auk is a quarterly journal and the official publication of the American Ornithologists Union, having been continuously published by that body since 1884. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... Nature is a prominent scientific journal, first published on 4 November 1869. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ...

External links

• BirdLife Factsheet
• Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge: Burrowing Owl Study
• State Parks of the San Luis Obispo Coast: Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)
• The Burrowing Owl Conservation Society of BC
• South Dakota Birds - Burrowing Owl Information and Photos
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology (includes a distribution map)
• Fifth grade project to create artificial habitat
• Burrowing Owl videos on the Internet Bird Collection