Photo of the Week: Burrowing owls

Written by: Winetta Owens

Burrowing owl at Lake Berryessa, Photo Credit: Victoria PayanBurrowing owls (Athene cunicularia) live underground in burrows, such as abandoned ground squirrel holes. During the nesting season, the owl outfits the nest with such choice materials as cattle dung, which is thought to help regulate temperatures in the burrow and attract insects that the owls eat. Burrowing owls have large broods (family) of up to 12 chicks at a time in the spring.

While not listed as endangered in the state of California, burrowing owls are a species of concern and numbers are thought to be declining due to habitat destruction. At Lake Berryessa and in the surrounding ranch lands, there is plenty of open space to safely support burrowing owls and a wide variety of bird species.

For more information on the burrowing owls, please visit:

http://burrowingowlconservation.org/

https://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Library/Birds/Burrowing-Owl.aspx

Published on February 23, 2016