Burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia) are small, long-legged owls found throughout open grasslands, deserts, and prairies of North and South America. Unlike most owls, they're active during the day as well as at night, and instead of nesting in trees, they live underground in burrows—often ones dug by prairie dogs, ground squirrels, or tortoises rather than by themselves. Standing only about 9 inches tall with bright yellow eyes and long, stilt-like legs, they have a distinctive habit of bobbing their heads and bowing when alert or agitated. They feed on a varied diet of insects, small mammals, and reptiles, and are known for lining their burrow entrances with animal dung, which is thought to attract dung beetles as a food source. Due to habitat loss and the decline of burrowing mammal populations that create their homes, burrowing owls are considered a species of conservation concern in many parts of their range.
