Burrowing Owl Essay

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Most owls are nocturnal birds that are found everywhere in the world. The fossils of the owls’ existence have dated back 54 million years ago. There are 205 different owl species. The owl species are divided into 2 different groups, one known as the barn owl, and the other as the true owls. True owls are more common than barn owls. The picture above shows a burrowing owl, which is a species of true owls. They have round faces where as barn owls have heart shaped faces. Most owls use their binocular vision to hunt prey. Owls have large eyes that set forward on their heads that allow them to have excellent depth perception. Their eyes have several large special cells called rods that are sensitive to low light. Their eyes are fixed in their …show more content…

One of the main reasons that burrowing owls are becoming endangered is because the habitat changes in the United States. They require grasslands to look for holes to nest in. Since burrowing owls are unable dig their own holes they rely on prairie dogs, badgers, and gophers. Most people consider the above animals to be a hassle because they dig holes in places they shouldn’t they end up getting killed off by poisons. Burrowing owls are predators, but because they are the smallest of all the owls they are not on the top of the owl food chain. This puts them at risk for becoming prey to other predators in the wild such as other owls, coyotes, badgers, and several other predators. In conclusion, owls have shown they are excellent at adapting to any environment by the ability to fly silently to stalk prey. They use camouflaged and insulated feathers to hide and keep warm while hunting. Owl’s excellent binocular vision, and hearing helps to track prey from long distances. The only real risk of extinction of the burrowing owl is if people continue to kill off animals that dig holes for them. They have shown the ability to survive for a long time with the help of other animals digging holes for them. Owl’s will continue to evolve long after humans have

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