The Story
I photographed this Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) at Hacienda La Cabaña, near Tauramena, Casanare, Colombia, in January 2020. A threatened owl retreats into its burrow and makes rattling, hissing sounds much like a rattlesnake. It often lines its nest with mammal dung, usually from cattle, which researchers think helps control the burrow’s climate and attracts insects. It hunts from a perch, swooping onto prey, catching insects in flight or chasing them on foot. It is a small, long-legged owl of open country such as grassland, ranchland and farmland.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200. For now, IUCN lists the Burrowing Owl as Least Concern, and its population appears to be stable.
©2020 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) belongs to the family Strigidae (Owls) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2025), with the population trend listed as stable. Source: IUCN Red List