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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Yabba-Dabba-Doo!
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International Day for Biosphere Reserves
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Happy Astronomy Day!
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Polar bears
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Moody skies over Valletta
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Brooklyn Bridge Park in Brooklyn, New York
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Mangrove Conservation Day
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Maple and bamboo forests in Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan
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Arambol Beach, Goa, India
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Here we mark the price of freedom
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Big wheels on a big mountain
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Churún Merú waterfall in Venezuela
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Black-naped monarch
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Striated heron on a Victoria water lily, Pantanal, Brazil
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Bear watching in the Finnish forest
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Up, up, and away for Hot Air Balloon Day
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Land ho in New Zealand 250 years ago
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Río Negro, Amazon basin, Brazil
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Cinco de Mayo
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The buzz about bees
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Haaga Rhododendron Park
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Martinique
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A day of death and rebirth
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Blink and you ll miss it
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Bavljenac Island
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World Environment Day
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Sandstone formations in the badlands near Caineville, Utah
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Happy New Year!
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Wheels up in Beijing
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Birds and bees, and why they re so important
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

