Hello Tuesday I hope everyone is doing well this morning, or night, or afternoon whenever you are reading this.
Today we are looking at the Burrowing Owl, this is a ground dwelling owl that makes it nests in burrows dug by other animals such as squirrels, armadillos, skunks and gophers in the open plains throughout North America.
Galloping across the ground on their long legs they pounce on their prey which include insects, small mammals, amphibians, reptiles and other birds at either dusk or dawn.
Left on their own in the burrow while parents hunt, juvenile owlets scare off predators my mimicking the sound of a rattlesnake.
The surround their nests with mammal waste this heady concoction attracts dung beetles which is one of the favourite foods.
The burrowing owl, also called the shoco, is a small, long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or any other open, dry area with low vegetation
Dearest Jo-Anne,
They look cute!
Had to look for squirrel burrows as I could not believe that…
Turns out they mean ground squirrels or Chipmunks!
Smart owls for attracting dung beetles—their gourmet food.
And imitating the noise of a rattle snake—WOW.
Hugs,
Mariette
They are cute and miminicing a rattle snake is indeed cool
Absolutely!