The Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia), or Tecolote llanero in Spanish, is a small owl with a big appetite. Burrowing Owls hunt by day and night—during the day for insects, and at night for small mammals like mice. The Burrowing Owl nests in a burrow (or hole) in the ground. Usually, Burrowing Owls find old ground squirrel burrows to use as their nests, but sometimes they dig their own.

These little owls prefer open fields and low vegetation where hunting is easier. This preference for open fields has left the Burrowing Owl little habitat as urbanization and human development have replaced it. 

To learn more about Burrowing Owls, visit the California Chaparral Institute.

PHOTO CREDIT: Susan Markovic