We’re taught the basics of owl behaviour at a young age: they’re nocturnal, constantly ask “who?” and are incapable of sharing tootsie pops. However, burrowing owls aren’t like most owls. These owls use daylight for hunting big juicy ground dwelling insects. Their vocalizations aren’t typical halloween hoots, rather they’re high pitched hisses or coos. One particular hiss emulates a rattlesnake rattling in an attempt to deter predators. Finally, where other owls live and nest in trees, the burrowing owl chooses open prairies and treeless grasslands – and in Canada there aren’t many of these grassland ecosystems remaining. Over the past three decades more than 90% of the Canadian burrowing owl population have vanished. Fewer than 800 breeding pairs remain across Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and British Columbia.
Learn more: http://neilfisher.com/blog/burrowingowls/
