This bright-eyed burrowing owl is emerging from its burrow just in time to enjoy the sunset here in Northern California. And yes, you read that right—it’s a burrowing owl. Unlike most owls, burrowing owls nest and roost underground, often in tunnels abandoned by ground squirrels or prairie dogs. It"s one of many traits that make the pint-sized species unique among owls. Burrowing owls live in grasslands, deserts, or other open dry areas with low vegetation. When threatened, they retreat to their burrows and are known to frighten off predators by mimicking the rattling and hissing sounds of a rattlesnake. And while most other owls sleep during the daytime, burrowing owls are often active in the daylight hours. It"s as if they didn"t finish proper owl training.
Here s looking at you
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Dalmatian pelicans, Lake Kerkini, Greece
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Unbearable cuteness
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Castle Square, Old Town, Warsaw, Poland
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Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California
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Endangered Species Day
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Barn swallows of different subspecies resting together
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Our Lady of the Rocks
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Tour de France begins
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Ides of March
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Happy Father s Day
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World Honey Bee Day
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The Belogradchik Rocks in Bulgaria
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A march toward a dream
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The Bahamas
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day
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Tintern Abbey, Wales
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Sundance Film Festival
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Row, row, row your gondola
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Celebrating Bike to Work Week, May 14-18
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Pacific Rim Whale Festival
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Celebrating Madagascar on its Independence Day
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I am the walrus
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Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington
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Summer winds down in the Southern Hemisphere
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Art and soul
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The natural ice wall of Misotsuchi, Chichibu, Japan
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Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
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Lucian Blaga National Theater, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Cross this bridge if you dare
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Daylight saving time begins
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

