Biography
Unlike most owls, burrowing owls are active during the day. As their name implies, these small owls nest in abandoned prairie dog, tortoise and rodent burrows. Their nesting chamber is usually at the end of a tunnel, 5 ft. or more long, and is lined with grass, feathers and other materials. Both parents incubate the 6-11 eggs. The young spend most of their life underground, but emerge before they are fully fledged, to exercise their flight muscles. When disturbed in the burrow, the owls make a rattling hiss that mimics the buzzing sound of an irate rattlesnake. Possibly, this sound helps to scare off potential predators. A voracious feeder, this owl can eat its own weight in a day. Its diet consists of ground squirrels, snakes, lizards, birds and insects. In winter, some burrowing owls migrate to warmer climates.
Our Animal's Story
We have three burrowing owls in the Great Southwest building. Nate, who hatched in June 2020 at ZooAmerica, is a male owl who lives in the desert garden. The other two burrowing owls, Carl and Phoenix, live in a nocturnal exhibit. Carl is a male owl who hatched in May 2014 at the Staten Island Zoo in New York. Phoenix is a female owl who hatched in June 2019 at ZooAmerica.
