Burrowing Owl 537 



area, they confine themselves to the open prairie and broken lands, where they 

 may almost always be found in and about the prairie-dog towns, or where this 

 animal is absent, they select the burrows of the badger or the various species of 

 ground squirrels. The bird found in Florida, however, appears to excavate its 

 own burrow, while the other may occasionally do so. From the fact that they 

 are so often found about the prairie-dog towns, the idea has gained wide accept- 

 ance that they live in these places in harmony with the dogs and attendant 

 rattlesnakes. On this point Major Bendire says: "A good deal of nonsense 

 has found its way into print about the life history of this Owl, and the senti- 

 mental story of its living in perfect harmony with prairie dogs and rattlesnakes, 

 both of which inhabit a considerable portion of the range occupied by these Owls, 

 was for years accepted as quite true. From an extended acquaintance with 

 the habits of the Burrowing Owl, lasting through a number of years' service in 

 the west, I can positively assert, from personal experience and investigation, 

 that there is no foundation based on actual facts for these stories, and that no 

 such happy families exist in reality. I am fully convinced that the Burrowing 

 Owl, small as it is, is more than a match for the average prairie dog, and the 

 rattlesnake as well; it is by no means the peaceful and spiritless bird it is gen- 

 erally believed to be, and it subsists, to some extent at least, on the young dogs, 

 if not also on the old ones." 



Of the habits of these Owls, Bendire further adds: "These birds are diurnal 

 in their habits, and may be seen sitting in front of their burrows at any hour of 

 the day. When not unduly molested, they are not at all shy, and usually allow 

 one to approach them near enough to note their curious antics. Their long, 

 slender legs give them a rather comical look a sort of top-heavy appearance, 

 and they are proverbially polite, being sure to bow to you as you pass by. Should 

 you circle around them, they will keep you constantly in view, and if this is kept 

 up, it sometimes seems as if they were in danger of twisting their heads off in 

 attempting to keep you in sight. If you venture too close, they will rise and fly 

 a short distance and generally settle down near the mouth of another burrow 

 close by, uttering at the same time a chattering sort of note, and repeat the bow- 

 ing performance. They hunt their prey mostly in the early evening and through- 

 out the night, more rarely during the daytime. As soon as the sun goes down, 

 they become exceedingly active, and especially so during the breeding season." 



Their food consists largely of insects and small mammals as well as lizards 

 and centipedes, etc. They are exceedingly voracious, eating fully as much as 

 their own weight in twenty-four hours, if it can be obtained, and with a family 

 of eight or ten to care for, it is easily seen what an enormous amount of food is 

 required. 



This Burrowing Owl is more or less migratory, especially in the more northern 

 portion of its range, and when they return in the spring they appear to be always 

 mated, and the mating is apparently for life. Nesting may begin in the latter 

 part of March and extend into June, according to location. The nesting burrows 

 vary greatly in length, being rarely under five feet, and not infrequently are over 

 ten feet long. They usually enter diagonally for two or three feet, and then 



