Embedded Files
Mahdi.F
Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Genus: Athene
Species: Athene cunicularia.
Evolution:
All Subspecies: There are about 20 living subspecies of the Burrowing Owl.
Existence: The species has been in existence since the Pleistocene epoch.
Closest Living Relative: Other species within the genus Athene.
Ancestors: While specific ancestors are not well-documented, they share a common ancestry with other owl species.
Description:
Physical Description:
Burrowing Owls are small, sandy-colored owls with bright-yellow eyes.They have long legs, an absence of ear tufts, and a round head.
Size: Approximately 10 inches (25 centimeters) tall.
Weight: Around 6 ounces (170 grams).
Life Span: On average, they live 6 to 8 years.
Differences between Males and Females: While not significantly dimorphic, females may be slightly larger.
Habitat Description:
Rainfall: Varies by region; typically found in arid to semi-arid environments.
Plants: Thrives in areas with sparse vegetation.
Animals: Coexists with prairie dogs and other burrowing mammals.
Temperature: Adapted to both hot and cold temperatures.
Terrain: Commonly found in open grasslands, deserts, and other open habitats.
Distribution:
Continents Found: Burrowing Owls are found in North and South America.
Invasive Status: They are not considered invasive.
Diet:
Diet Composition:Their diet includes insects, small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and other birds.
Feeding Frequency:Most active at dawn and dusk, but they may hunt at any time.
Foraging Method:They hunt on the ground or from low perches.
Special Foods:Burrowing Owls are known to use mammal dung to attract dung beetles, which are a preferred food source.
Social Structure:
Live in packs or solo: Burrowing owls can be solitary or live in colonies of up to several dozen pairs.
Roles within the community: No complex social order exists within colonies. They are loosely knit groups with breeding pairs defending their territories.
Male or Female led groups: Neither males nor females lead the groups.
Individuals that make up the group: Breeding pairs and their offspring typically make up a colony.
How they interact with each other: Burrowing owls are relatively social within colonies. They may perch together, preen each other, and even engage in communal defense against predators.
Reproduction:
How often do they mate: Burrowing owls are monogamous and form long-term pair bonds. They typically mate every year.
How many mates do they have: They have only one mate at a time.
Time of year for mating: Mating season begins in April.
Mating rituals: Courtship involves perching together, rubbing heads, and cooing vocalizations.
Number of offspring produced at a time: Females lay a clutch of 5 to 9 eggs.
Unique characteristics of their mating: Burrowing owls are one of the few owl species that exhibit biparental care, where both parents contribute to incubation and chick rearing.
Development:
Stages of development: Burrowing owls hatch from eggs and go through chick and fledgling stages before reaching adulthood.
How old before sexual maturity: They reach sexual maturity at around 1 year old.
Activities and environment of stages: Chicks remain in the burrow for about 40 days before fledging. After fledging, they stay with their parents for several weeks while learning to hunt.
Difference between males and females: There are no major physical differences between males and females.
Causes of Death:
Predation: Common predators include coyotes, foxes, snakes, and raptors.
Sexual Competition:
Male-male combat: Males may fight each other to the point of exhaustion or injury, and in some cases, one male may kill the other.
Territorial disputes: Males defending their territories may attack intruders, leading to fatal confrontations.
Mate guarding: Males may become aggressive and even kill other males that approach their mate or territory.
Resource competition: Males may compete for limited resources like food or nesting sites, leading to conflicts that can be fatal.
Disease:Some diseases that threaten the burrowing owls are (West Nile virus, Fleas, Rodenticide toxicity, and Cannibalism) These threats can be deadly for burrowing owls.
Other causes: Habitat loss, competition with invasive species, and accidental poisoning can also contribute to burrowing owl deaths.
Competition:
Intra-species: Burrowing owls may compete with each other for mates, burrows, and food resources.
Inter-species: They may compete with other ground-dwelling animals for food and burrows, such as prairie dogs and ground squirrels. Invasive species like burrowing rodents can also pose a threat.
Burrowing owls compete with other animals for resources they need to survive.
Invasie species: some invasive species that threat the burrowing owls are (house mice, prairie dog eradication and feral animals).
IUCN Rating: Least Concern
Population:2 million inviduals million but their number has declined from 1960
Population Trend: Burrowing owl populations are declining due to habitat loss and other threats.
Impact of Humans:
Habitat loss: Conversion of grasslands for agriculture and development is a major threat.
Pesticide use: Insecticides can poison burrowing owls and their prey.
Future impacts: Climate change could further threaten their habitat.
Efforts being made to minimize impacts:Conservation efforts focus on habitat protection, nest box programs, and public education.
human interaction with burrowing owl:The exact timeframe for human interaction with burrowing owls is undetermined, but it likely dates back thousands of years. Their habitat range overlaps considerably with areas where humans have established settlements and agricultural practices for millennia.
Page updated
Report abuse