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This animal can be found in Texas and other western portions of North America. It makes its home in regions of South America as well. The burrowing owl lives in grassland and desert biomes. It is 9 -11 inches tall and 23 inches long. It is very small and pudgy. It can often be seen in the sun because it loves heat. These owls have a loud hoot for a voice. They have long legs, a short tail, and lots of feathers. Their eyes are extremely sensitive. They eat small birds, rodents, and rarely, carrion. They bolt down on their food to kill it. Burrowing owls are not very active animals. |
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When we visited the Utica Zoo, we observed these animals for five minutes. We noticed that the burrowing owls liked to sit on the ground and did not move for a long time. They waited until the food came to them and didn't go to get it themselves. They also loved to yell at each other. |
The burrowing owl eats in the early morning and late evening. It likes to live in drier soil and in holes dug by prairie dogs in the grasslands. |
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When an animal comes to eat it, this owl burrows in a hole in the ground dug by a prairie dog, or any other animal. The burrowing owl doesn't have a thick layer of feathers because it is warm in the area in which it lives. |
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If all the animals that dig holes died, the burrowing owls would have no place to live. When the soil dries out or gets too wet, they can't blend in anymore. |
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Dr. Maurice Burton (ed.) The International Wildlife Encyclopedia. New York: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 1969. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us./nature/wildbirds/burwl.htm "Burrowing Owl." Compton's Encyclopedia, ed. 1995. "Burrowing Owl." The World Book Encyclopedia. 1995, ed.. |