Discover the Underground World: Top 9 Amazing Fun Facts About Burrowing Owls!

1. Feathered Squatters

Borrowing a home from your neighbors has never been easier than for the feathered squatters in the world of burrowing owls: they often nest and roost in the burrows created by black-tailed prairie dogs, occasionally digging their own burrows, but mostly finding comfort in the prairie dog real estate offerings.
Source => sibleynaturecenter.org

2. Long-Legged Walkers

Move over, Usain Bolt: these feathered friends have no intention of breaking your record! They've got long legs for a different reason: Burrowing owls' lengthy limbs are designed for walking, balancing, and perching, with variations in leg length depending on their habitat and species to aid them in traversing tall grasses and nabbing prey.
Source => avibirds.com

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=> Fun Facts about Owls

3. John Travolta Owls

These burrowing owls have smoother moves than a John Travolta Saturday Night Fever reenactment: during courtship, males put on an impressive display of flashing white markings, cooing, bowing, scratching, nipping, and display flights to win over their feathered femme fatales.
Source => biologicaldiversity.org

4. Poop-Luring Predators

You know what they say - one owl's poop is another owl's treasure: Burrowing owls cleverly use animal dung to lure dung beetles, their favorite meal, into their burrows. In a University of Florida study, these cheeky owls were found to munch on 10 times more beetles and six times more beetle species when dung was present, making their stinky strategy an evolutionary masterstroke.
Source => research.ufl.edu

5. Owl Limbo Champions

Say hello to the limbo champions of the owl world, equipped with a stealth mode that even the latest videogame characters would envy: Burrowing owls stay hidden from predators by camouflaging with their environment, flattening themselves against the ground, or sprinting away instead of taking flight.
Source => abcbirds.org

6. Preening Couples

Couples that preen together, stay together – at least when it comes to monogamous burrowing owls and their shared love for home decor with a touch of dung: These quirky creatures nest in borrowed burrows, luring their mates with extravagant aerial displays before lining their love nests with the finest of manure, all in an effort to befuddle and evade unwanted predators. Monsieur Owl and Madame Owl then settle into family life, producing up to 11 egglets that learn the fine art of burrowing by their wise parents' sides.
Source => oiseaux-birds.com

7. Nocturnal Ninjas

Whoever said owls are wise nighthawks clearly never met the burrowing owl: a feisty, subterranean Houdini, who much rather takes on tunnel-living and devours critters of all sorts. Donning true omnivorous attire, these petite nocturnal ninjas flex their hunting prowess on insects, small mammals, and even tackle vertebrates like bats, rabbits, snakes, and birds as large as ducks, giving them an air of true predatory panache.
Source => birdfact.com

8. Owl Party Animals

Whoever said owls were solitary creatures clearly didn't get the memo from these feathery party animals: Burrowing owls nest in groups – sometimes with up to nine families sharing one elaborate burrow system – creating a community that helps protect their young from predators.
Source => animals.mom.com

9. Foul Welcome Mats

Talk about a foul welcome mat: Burrowing owls protect their homes by decorating the entrance with animal dung, which attracts insects and dung beetles, allowing them to catch and eat their prey while keeping predators at bay.
Source => fws.gov