Ground Owl.
The first published report of the Burrowing Owl was by Giovanni Iganzio Molina, an Italian Jesuit priest stationed in Chile. His description appeared in a book he wrote on the natural history of the country in 1782.The Latin word "cunicularius" means mine, or miner - an apt description for a bird that makes its home beneath the ground. This Owl was once given the Genus "Speotyto" but is now recognised as one of the "Athene" species. The Burrowing Owl has also been known as Ground Owl, Prairie Dog Owl, Rattlesnake Owl, Howdy Owl, Cuckoo Owl, Tunnel Owl, Gopher Owl, and Hill Owl.
Description: A small ground-dwelling Owl with a round head and no ear tufts. They have white eyebrows, yellow eyes, and long legs. The Owl is sandy coloured on the head, back, and upperparts of the wings and white-to-cream with barring on the breast and belly and a prominent white chin stripe. They have a rounded head, and yellow eyes with white eyebrows. The young are brown on the head, back, and wings with a white belly and chest. They moult into an adult-like plumage during their first summer. Burrowing Owls are comparatively easy to see because they are often active in daylight, and are suprisingly bold and approachable. The females are usually darker than the males. Burrowing Owls fly with irregular, jerky wingbeats and frequently make long glides, interspersed with rapid wingbeats. They hover during hunting and courtship, and may flap their wings asynchronously (not up and down together).
Size: Length 21.6-28 cm (8½-11 inches) Wingspan 50.8-61.0 cm (20-24 inches) Weight 170.1-214g (6-7½ oz)
Voice: The main call is given only by adult males mainly when near the burrow to attract a female. A two-syllable "who-who" is given at the entrance of a promising burrow. This call is also associated with breeding, and territory defence. Other sounds called the "rasp", "chuck", "chatter", and "scream" have been described. Juveniles give a rattlesnake-like buzz when threatened in the burrow, and adults give a short, low-level "chuck" call to warn of approaching predators. This is usually accompanied by bobbing the head up and down.
Hunting: Burrowing Owls feed on a wide variety of prey, changing food habits as location and time of year determine availability. Large arthropods, mainly beetles and grasshoppers, comprise a large portion of their diet. Small mammals, especially mice, rats, gophers, and ground squirrels, are also important food items. Other prey animals include: reptiles and
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