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Burrowing Owls


Burrowing Owls
Photo Information
Copyright: Peter van Zoest (PeterZ) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1215 W: 68 N: 2524] (8319)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-08-09
Categories: Birds
Camera: Nikon D70, AF Nikkor 70-300mm f4-5.6 G, Digital RAW
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/640 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-09-17 5:35
Viewed: 774
Points: 40
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
On a fence near a range I found these two Burrowing Owl. (Athene cunicularia).
The first published report of the Burrowing Owl was by Giovanni Iganzio Molina, an Italian Jesuit priest stationed in Chile. His description appeared in a book he wrote on the natural history of the country in 1782.The Latin word "cunicularius" means mine, or miner - an apt description for a bird that makes its home beneath the ground.
Description: A small ground-dwelling Owl with a round head and no ear tufts. They have white eyebrows, yellow eyes, and long legs. The Owl is sandy coloured on the head, back, and upperparts of the wings and white-to-cream with barring on the breast and belly and a prominent white chin stripe. The young are brown on the head, back, and wings with a white belly and chest. Burrowing Owls are comparatively easy to see because they are often active in daylight, and are suprisingly bold and approachable. The females are usually darker than the males.
Burrowing Owls fly with irregular, jerky wingbeats and frequently make long glides, interspersed with rapid wingbeats. They hover during hunting and courtship, and may flap their wings asynchronously (not up and down together).
Size: Length 22-28 cm Wingspan 51-61 cm Weight 170-214g
Voice: The main call is given only by adult males mainly when near the burrow to attract a female. A two-syllable "who-who" is given at the entrance of a promising burrow. This call is also associated with breeding, and territory defence.
Hunting & Food: Burrowing Owls feed on a wide variety of prey, changing food habits as location and time of year determine availability. Large arthropods, mainly beetles and grasshoppers, comprise a large portion of their diet. Small mammals, especially mice, rats, gophers, and ground squirrels, are also important food items. Other prey animals include: reptiles and amphibians, scorpions, young cottontail rabbits, bats, and birds, such as sparrows and horned larks. These Owls are quite versatile in the ways they capture prey. They chase down grasshoppers and beetles on the ground, use their talons to catch large insects in the air, or hover in mid-air before swooping down on unsuspecting prey. They also watch from perches, then glide silently toward their target. Burrowing Owls are primarily active at dusk and dawn (crepuscular), but will hunt throughout a 24-hour period, especially when they have young to feed.
They also eat fruits and seeds.
Breeding: The nesting season begins in late March or April. Burrowing Owls are usually monogamous but occasionally a male will have 2 mates. Adults usually return to the same burrow or a nearby area each year. 6 to 9 (sometimes up to 12) white eggs are laid a day apart, which are incubated for 28-30 days by the female only. They leave the nest at about 44 days and begin chasing living insects when 49-56 days old.
Mortality: Burrowing Owls are able to live for at least 9 years in the wild and over 10 years in captivity.
They are listed as endangered, threatened, or a species of special concern in most states and provinces where they occur.
Habitat: Burrowing Owls are found in open, dry grasslands, agricultural and range lands, and desert habitats.
Dan, Alex99, jaycee, Silke, kjpweb, Argus, ridvan, Necipp, SelenE, tkp1165 has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Dan Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 112 W: 0 N: 352] (1731)
  • [2007-09-17 6:18]

Hi Peter,
A nice and interesting subject,(owls are allwais interesting birds) and well done.
Very useful the datas about these owls.
Congratulation, Dan

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3046 W: 148 N: 4553] (14701)
  • [2007-09-17 6:50]

Hi Peter.
Amazing pictured scene and excellent quality of the shot. Especially I am impressed with refined BG. Its colours are fantastic, delicate and pleasant. The images of the birds are terrific too. They are strong, sharp, well contrasted. Glance of the birds are wonderful. Great shot. My compliments and TFS.
Alexei.

  • Great 
  • pvs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1149 W: 254 N: 2555] (11569)
  • [2007-09-17 8:00]

Ha peter,

Een mooie opname en met zelfs 2 uilen,ik heb al moeite met het traceren van slechts een uil,de compositie ziet er goed uit,bedankt

Groetjes,
Paul

Hello Peter.
Fot muito bonita e elegante.
Parabens.
Ralf

gorgeous owls, what a wonderful catchs this is....a real keeper

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1791 W: 8 N: 4653] (15039)
  • [2007-09-17 12:35]

Hi Peter,

How amazing to come across these two owls standing like statues. You took good advantage of the moment. This picture is lovely. Nice subtle colors, sharp details, and a wonderful setting.

Jane

Hello Peter, splendid twins shot, realy good focus with many details, wonderfull colors very well contrasted, I like so much the glance of the owls
very well done,
cheer,
Pat

Hi Peter,

Great shot and two for the price of one. A really well composed image, perfectly executed. A very informative note too.

Kind regards,

Mike

  • Great 
  • Silke Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 753 W: 108 N: 1729] (5398)
  • [2007-09-17 16:11]

Superb colours, details and composition!
This is a fabulous positing with excellent notes
TFS
silke

  • Great 
  • kjpweb Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 367 W: 86 N: 1084] (4788)
  • [2007-09-17 17:35]

Well done, Peter! They are looking very grim - did you wake them from their nap? - Cool details and great POV! Well done! Cheers, Klaus

Hi very nice shot
sharpness of the owls could be better but well focused and nice moment
Tfs Toba

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2615 W: 133 N: 7512] (23431)
  • [2007-09-18 12:08]

Hello Peter,
Great capture of a pair of Burrowing Owls. I like the composition and the way that they are framed by the OOF foliage. They are pretty sharp and stand out well against the neutral BG. Nice lighting too.
Well done and TFS!
Ivan

  • Great 
  • ridvan Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 556 W: 0 N: 1138] (5140)
  • [2007-09-18 13:16]

selam peter, excellent shot and very good composition of this owls.nice pov and bg with splendid colours.well presented pose
Well done my friend!
Regards ridvan

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1331 W: 107 N: 4825] (21400)
  • [2007-09-18 14:28]

Hello Peter, what a nice pair of Owls ! Very funny too ! Great composition, very good pose of the subjects and very good sharpness and exposure. Thanks !

Mario

Hello Peter wonderfull sharp shot of this beautifull couple nice dof and background blur, excellent pov and light was great tfs rgds necip.

Hello Peter,
The Pantanal is fantastic isn't? I miss that place
Very beautiful capture, lovely composition

Everton

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2007-09-19 10:09]

Hello Peter

A beautiful image of these two owls.The details are excellent.The eyes are beautiful.The colours are well saturated.Very good focus and sharpness.TFS

Rob

Magnifique cette belelprise de deux sujets en même temps, un peu de bruit mais on comprend que l'on ne peut pas tout avoir.
Bravo
Marie

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2352 W: 61 N: 3814] (12240)
  • [2007-10-04 0:53]

Hi Peter,
It's nice to see two of them together in a single frame. I liked the pose you captured. TFS
Best wishes,
Selen

Hi Peter
Very good portrait of a beautiful animals.
Excellent
Congratulation
Cheers from Hong Kong.
Michel

Hi Peter
Great capture of these beautiful owls. Great poses and I like the eye contact. Very nicely done!!
TFS and thank you for your wonderful comments.
Tom

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