BURROWING OWL (Athene cunicularia)

The burrowing owl is a brown bird, about the size of a tawny owl, but readily distinguished because it has no ear tufts and long legs that are almost featherless. It stands upright whether on the ground or perching. It occurs in open country and desert thoughout the western part of the USA and into dry regions of Central and South America. It feeds mainly on insects, rodents and small reptiles. It nests in the underground burrows of rodents, especially of ground squirrels and prairie dogs.

Photograph taken in an enclosure at the Sonoran Desert Museum, Arizona

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