See a Burrowing Owl in Lake Mead NRA

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The burrowing owl has it all figured out. A small owl about as tall as a robin, just a little plumper, this daytime owl knows how to live the good life. Build its own home from scratch? Nah! Burrowing owls move into old prairie dog and squirrel burrows and do a little light redecorating. They collect bits of metal foil, bottle caps, and other pieces of trash for the entrances of their homes--possibly to signify that this burrow’s taken, folks! With their pads all decked out, the burrowing owl sets to the next important task: filling it with food. Unlike most owls that hunt at night, burrowing owls hunt during the day and use the cool ground as their refrigerator. And boy do these birds keep a serious pantry! While you may have granola bars in yours, one Canadian burrowing owl was found to have 200 rodents in their larder. They also love free snacks! Burrowing owls often carpet the entrance of their home with other animals’ poop to attract dung beetles and other bugs to munch on. One of the rare animals that has adapted well to human disturbance of their habitat, burrowing owls will nest in PVC pipe if they need to, and can often be found in the grassy airport fields of the American West. Next time you’re at the airport at dawn, keep your eye out for a short, stout lil’ owl standing in front of a tricked-out burrow, sunning itself!

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