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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Freeloaders of the avian world
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World Sea Turtle Day
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The village of Castelluccio above the Piano Grande, Umbria, Italy
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Rosa Parks Day
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International Talk Like a Pirate Day
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Mount Hamilton, near San Jose, California
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Working for that cliffside view
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Travel Sunday: On the Ganges in Varanasi, India
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Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
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Masai giraffes in Amboseli National Park, Kenya
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Everglades National Park, Florida
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We heart Berlin
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Tracking ships on the Day of the Seafarer
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Yosemite National Park anniversary
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Happy World Photography Day!
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Bearded reedlings in Flevoland
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A wild, craggy corner of the United States
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Kawachi Fuji Garden
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Cranborne Chase, England
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Behold the perfect cone
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Feeling chic on Fashion Week
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Golling Waterfall, Salzburg, Austria
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‘The mountains are calling’
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Harbor and longtail boats at Ko Samui, Thailand
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Honoring those who served
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Koala in the Great Otway National Park, Australia
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50 years of World Heritage Sites
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Surf s always up in Paia
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A water loch-ed castle
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World Oceans Day
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

