2017-10-01 Birds & Bloom

32 birdsandblooms.com OCTOBER (^) I NOVEMBER 2017
BURROWING OWLS
An oddity in the owl world, burrowing owls are among the few species
to nest underground. The southern Florida populations dig their
own chambers, while burrowing owls in the Southwest rely on holes
dug by other animals, including prairie dogs, badgers and ground
squirrels. Look for burrowing owls perched on fence posts or other
low perches, swiveling their heads from side to side.
BARN OWLS
Although barn owls are found worldwide, there’s no
one place where they’re particularly abundant. There are over
40 different races of barn owls, but the North American variety is
the largest and makes up approximately 9 percent of the world’s barn
owl population. True to their name, barn owls nest and roost
in barns, silos and other human-made structures. They can also be
found living in large nest boxes, tree cavities and caves. These
skilled rodent-slayers have heart-shaped faces and are ghostly
white with warm brown coloration on their backs and wings.
The No. 1 place
to see burrowing
owls is in Cape
Coral, Florida.
You are bound to
see at least a few
of the over 1,000
nesting pairs
during a visit.
HOT
SPOT