California Department of Fish and Game "Species of Special Concern"

Life History

The head is rounded, there are no ear tufts, the eyes are yellow, they have whitish eyebrows, a white chin stripe, and the tail is short. When agitated, the head bobs or the owl bows with a quick bending motion of the legs. Also when agitated, their alarm call very effectively imitates the sound of a rattlesnake.

The burrowing owl is a yearlong resident of open, dry grassland and desert habitats. They are also found as residents in grass, forb and open shrub stages of pinyon-juniper, and ponderosa pine habitats. This small owl is found the length of the state of California in appropriate habitats and has been found as high as 5,300 ft in Lassen County. They are not found in the humid northwest coastal forests. Outside California, this bird is found in southwestern Canada, the western United States, Florida, and northern Alaska.

Although these owls are often considered to be diurnal, they are almost entirely nocturnal, or at least crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk). They are generally considered to be diurnal because they frequently perch conspicuously during daylight hours, especially early morning and late afternoon, at or near the entrance to their burrow or on a nearby low post. It is also not uncommon to see groups of burrowing owls because they are said to be the most gregarious owl in North America and thought to be semi-colonial. During the period when they have nestlings or recently fledged young, one or both owls are usually perched on guard very near the entrance to the nest burrow. Burrowing owls in the northern parts of their range may winter to the south, as far as Central America, but are mostly residents in California. There may be some type of movement downslope in the winter.

This ground owl preys mostly on insects, small mammals, reptiles, birds, and carrion. Some insects are caught at night while hunting. This owl usually hunts from a perch; then hovers, displays hawk dives, and hops after prey on the ground.

The male conducts his courtship display in front of the burrow. Actual breeding occurs anywhere from March through August, with the peak activity in April and May. Clutch size is two to ten, but on the average, five or six white eggs are the norm. The young emerge from their burrow at approximately two weeks and are flying by about the fourth week. Martin (1973) reported 95 percent of the young fledged and a mean reproduction success of 4.9 young per pair.

This owl usually nests in the old burrow of a ground squirrel, badger, or other small mammal, although they may dig their own burrow in soft soil. The actual nest chamber is lined with excrement, pellets, grass, feathers, and other debris, but sometimes is unlined. Where burrows are scarce, pipes, culverts, and even nest boxes may be utilized.

The burrowing owl's numbers have been markedly reduced in California for at least the past 60 years. Conversion of grasslands to agriculture, other habitat destruction, and poisoning of ground squirrels, has contributed to the reduction in numbers in recent decades, which was noted in the 1940s, and earlier. Within the past 20 years, however, and particularly within the past 5 years, the decline of burrowing owls in California appears to have greatly accelerated. Apparently this has resulted because of habitat loss caused by the increased residential and commercial development. Some of their predators include prairie falcons, red-tailed hawks, Swainson's hawks, ferruginous hawks, northern harriers, golden eagles, foxes, coyotes, and domestic dogs and cats.