A burrowing owl chick and adult, South Florida, USA
A burrowing owl chick and adult, South Florida, USA (© Carlos Carreno/Getty Images)
Burrowing owls
Don’t look up. These are burrowing owls, which means that they live on the ground or under it. In fact, they often take advantage of the hard work of prairie dogs or gophers by building their nests in the burrows they dug and abandoned. Think of burrowing owls as squatters of the avian world. You’ll find these 7½- to 11-inch birds in North and South America, especially in grasslands, farming areas or dry expanses with vegetation that is close to the ground.
© Carlos Carreno/Getty Images