Burrowing Owl

• Its scientific name means literally 'wise digger'.
• It nests underground, in burrows of its own or inherited from other mammals.
• It lines the entrance of its burrow with cattle dung, possibly to attract insects.
• comportamientoUnlike most owls it nests and lives in underground burrows dug by other animals, and can be active by day as well as by night.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - pneumatised bony skeleton (bird)

Habitat & environment

Open grassland, desert and low-vegetation farmland throughout the Americas, from Canada to Argentina

Birth weight

8.9 grams

Size at birth

Altricial, covered in greyish-white down with its eyes closed

Sexual maturity

10 months to 1 year

Gestation / incubation

28-30 days

Litter / clutch size

2 to 12 eggs per clutch (most commonly 6-9)

Lifespan in captivity

Documented record of more than 10 years in captivity

Sources consulted: AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); A-Z Animals; Burrowing Owl Alliance BC (aging key study); Animal Diversity Web; The Owl Pages; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; Animal Spot; Center for Biological Diversity

Best time: All year round on the plains of the Americas, by day; it is found at the mouths of prairie dog, viscacha or armadillo burrows.