Owls have been regarded as symbols of wisdom, intuition, and the supernatural throughout history – most likely due to their graceful, silent flight, mysterious nocturnal activity, and seemingly all-knowing eyes.
However, there’s a whole world of owls out there that are different than what we see in the movies.
Take for instance the Burrowing owl. Here’s an owl that doesn’t exactly fit in with the stereotypical Snowy Owl from Harry Potter or the Great Horned Owl, and that’s exactly why they deserve some attention! Below are some interesting facts about Burrowing Owls we thought were pretty cool.
Interesting facts about Burrowing Owls
Burrowing Owl appearance
1. Burrowing owls are some of the smallest owls around. While the European Eagle owl is the largest owl species with an average weight of 3-8 pounds and a wingspan of more than 5 feet, the Burrowing owl weighs on average only 4-7 ounces with a wingspan around 2 feet.
2. Unlike the Great Horned owl, these owls lack ear tufts, giving their heads a somewhat comical, round appearance.
3. They have short square tails and long, thin legs that come in handy for running on the ground.
4. Their heads, backs, and chests are brown with white spotting and their bellies are white. Females may have more pronounced spotting than males.
5. They also have a long white eyebrow that runs across their faces.
6. With most owl species, the female is noticeably larger than the male. However, with Burrowing owls, males and females are the same size, with the males sometimes being slightly larger.
Burrowing Owl habitat
7. The Burrowing owl gets its name from where it lives – in underground burrows.
8. These burrows are sometimes dug by the owls, but more often than not the owls will take over burrows built by other creatures such as prairie dogs, badgers, ground squirrels, and even tortoises.
9. Burrowing owls are found in dry prairies, grasslands, pastures, and deserts throughout North and Central America.
10. The underground bur