This small owl is unusual in that it nests in earthen burrows in open shrub-steppe regions and grasslands. This habit is even more curious in Oregon since most burrows used for nesting were previously excavated by badgers, a major predator of Burrowing owl eggs and young.

These long-legged, short tailed owls are generally brownish buff with spots across the back and barring across the front. Males are usually lighter colored than females, possibly because they spend more time exposed to the elements. Males also average five percent larger than females, a situation rare among owls.

The Burrowing owl is a spring and summer visitant in open grassland and shrub-steppe habitats in all ecoregions of eastern Oregon, except higher mountains. It is probably most common in the Columbia Basin and in southeast Oregon.

The Burrowing owl is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Blue Mountains, Columbia Plateau and Northern Basin and Range ecoregions. 

Hear the call of the Burrowing owl

Photo by Lisa Nicholson