Burrowing Owls: Life Above and Underground

(Photo: Bernard DUPONT/Wikimedia Commons)

Burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia) are small, long-legged birds that live in open areas like grasslands, deserts, and farmland. Unlike most owls, they make their nests underground, often using old burrows created by prairie dogs and ground squirrels. They are found in North and South America, especially in the western United States and Florida.