Hawks Aloft, Inc.
Conservation, Avian Research, and Education
PO Box 10028 - Albuquerque, NM 87184 - (505) 828-9455

 

Welcome to the PNM Reeves Station Burrowing Owl Webcam!

Click Here for the Webcam!

You are watching a camera pointed directly at the burrow opening of one of the most interesting owls in North America.  Watch the screen as it refreshes every 60 seconds to peer into the world of the Burrowing Owl. 

¨  What is a Burrowing Owl?

Burrowing Owls are small, ground-nesting owls common in the western United States.  They weigh between 4 and 5 oz. and are approximately 8 to 10 inches in height with long, sparsely feathered legs.  Their small, round heads lack ear tufts.  They have a light brown back with numerous white speckles, and a white underbelly with horizontal brown barring.  During the breeding season, males show white patches above their eyes and on their chins.  As you watch, you may see their bright, vibrant yellow eyes looking at you!

¨  What do Burrowing Owls do?

Burrowing Owls spend their time hunting for prey, caring for their young, maintaining their burrows, sleeping, and watching for predators.  Watch the owls in the webcam and see how many different behaviors you can identify! 

¨  Where do Burrowing Owls live?

Northern Burrowing Owls migrate during the winter in search of food, but they are found in parts of New Mexico year-round.  They are found as far east as central Oklahoma, and range from the Canadian border south to Central America.  Some Burrowing Owls live in the southernmost tip of Florida and parts of Puerto Rico.  Burrowing Owls prefer short dry grasslands.  They occupy underground burrows for nesting, often previously dug by prairie dogs, ground squirrels, or rattlesnakes.  They are dependent upon these animals for suitable cavities.   

¨  What do Burrowing Owls eat?

Burrowing Owls are opportunistic, and feed on insects, small mammals, small birds, and small lizards.  They hunt by walking, hopping, or running on the ground to flush their prey.  They capture prey with their talons, and either eat it where it is caught, or bring it back to their burrow to store or to feed young.  They also catch small flying insects.   

¨  When is the best time to view Burrowing Owls?

Burrowing Owls are active both day and night, and they may be seen outside their burrows any time.  In New Mexico, Burrowing Owls lay from 3 to 10 eggs between the end of March and the end of May.  The eggs hatch approximately 28 to 30 days later, and young Burrowing Owls may be observed from Mid-April to the end of August.  Burrowing Owls leave the burrow 14 days after hatching.  Fewer numbers of Burrowing Owls occupy the area during fall and winter.   

¨  Why do Burrowing Owls live in burrows?

Burrows provide a safe home for these small owls.  They are hunted by ground mammals, snakes, and avian predators.  Burrows are safe environments for the owls to raise their young and also to live in throughout the year.  They provide shelter from the sun, wind, and cold, and predators.  Unfortunately, burrows are often disturbed by people, domestic dogs, and cats.  In places without suitable burrows, artificial burrows may be used for nesting.   

¨  Why are Burrowing Owls important?

Burrowing Owls help maintain healthy populations of insects, rodents, and small mammals.  Burrowing Owls increase the diversity of the wildlife within an area by providing food for larger predators, such as Prairie Falcons and other raptors, coyotes, and other large predators. 

Try to find all the words listed in the following word scramble!

 Now that you know what a Burrowing Owl is, let's learn a little more about their special habitat.

 ¨  What is a Prairie?

A prairie is a flat, open space with native grasses as the primary vegetation.  Two other terms for prairies are grasslands and plains.  Prairies can be wet or dry, depending on the geographic location.  Prairie grasses can be short or tall depending on the precipitation levels.  Keep reading to learn more about the two main types of prairies:

   short-grass prairie:

Click on the pictures to learn more!

Hover over the picture with your mouse to view the copyright information. 

  ¨  Location: Short-grass prairie dominates much of the Great Plains region of the United States west to the Rocky Mountains.  Many areas of New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, and California are classified as short-grass prairies.  Short-grass prairies are categorized as dry, semi-arid regions with 12-15 inches of rainfall per year.  These important habitats are home to many plants and animals found in New Mexico, including the Burrowing Owl.

 ¨  The plants of the short-grass prairie:  Yucca and blue grama are dominate plants in the short grass prairie. 

 Flowers:  Flowers, also called forbs, grow in the short-grass prairie.  Their long roots extend deep in the ground in search of water, and their colorful flowers brighten up the prairie. 

Small-leaf      Globe-mallow	Black-eyed Susan

¨  Birds of the short-grass prairie:  In addition to the Burrowing Owl, many other birds frequent short-grass prairies.  Here are just a few.  Click on the pictures to learn more about them.

Ferruginous Hawk

Lesser Prairie-chicken	Long-billed Curlew

  ¨  Mammals of the short-grass prairie:  Let's learn about a few more mammals found in the short-grass prairie.  Click on the pictures to learn more about them.

Bison

Prairie Dog	Pronghorn Antelope

¨  Reptiles of the short-grass prairie:  Often overlooked, these reptiles are vital in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.  They do not deserve the bad reputation they are often given.  Click on the pictures to learn more about them.

Bullsnake     (Gopher Snake)

Hognose Snake	Woodhouse's Toad

Let’s see how much you’ve learned:

 Unscramble the letters to reveal the answer to the following questions about short-grass prairies!

1.      _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Grass is named after a large herbivore once common in the short-grass prairies.   (OULAFBF)

2.      The oldest living species of bird is the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _ _ _ _.  (LHDNIASL   NAREC)

3.      Short-grass prairies are characterized by low _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.  (TNOIPICIERPAT)

4.      _ _ _ _ _ _ are important for keeping small mammal populations low.  (KENSAS).

5.       Burrowing Owls depend on _ _ _ _ _ _ _      _ _ _ _  to dig burrows in the ground.  (IRPAREI   SODG)

6.      Burrowing Owls _ _ _ _ _ _ _ in search of food.  (ETMGRAI)

7.      The _ _ _ _ _ _ _ snake digs in the ground with its blunt shaped nose.  (SEHNOGO)

8.      Pronghorn antelope use their coloration as _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ in the prairie grass.  (AAGLUMOFEC)

9.      The _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ hawk eats prairie dogs by sitting and waiting at prairie dog towns.  (RRNSUOUIFEG)

10.  Flowers that grow in the short-grass prairie are also called _ _ _ _ _.  (RSOBF)

 tall-grass prairie:

Click on the pictures to learn more!

Hover over the picture with your mouse to view the copyright information. 

The tall-grass prairie is found in central North America as far north as southern Canada, south to Kansas.  Take a little time to read about tall-grass prairies and compare them with short-grass prairies.

 ¨  Location:  Tall-grass prairies are found in the central and eastern United States and the Gulf of Mexico.  Much of the remaining tall-grass prairies are in Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana, eastern Kansas, and Nebraska.  They often have high levels of precipitation, but are well drained and not swampy.  The grasses in these prairies can be 5 feet or taller!

 ¨  Plants of the tall-grass prairies.  The typical vegetation is much taller than that of the short grass prairie.  See how many other differences you can find.  Click on the pictures to learn more about some plants of the tall-grass prairie.

Big Bluestem	Porcupine Grass

Western Prairie Fringed Orchid	Purple Coneflower

  ¨  Birds of the tall-grass prairie:  There are many interesting birds that call this habitat home.  Click on the pictures to learn more about them.           

Northern Harrier

Blue Grouse	Western Meadowlark

¨  Mammals of the tall-grass prairie:  These mammals are right at home in the tall grasses of the eastern United States.  Click on the pictures to learn more about them.           

Coyote

Jackrabbit	Red Fox

One More Test!  (click to print just the game)

Use the clues for the down and across words to complete the crossword puzzle.  All of the information can be found in the text and picture links above.

Down:

1.      Tall-grass prairies are found in the ____ of Mexico.

2.      Blue____ grass is a common grass of the tall grass prairie.

3.      The ______is recognized by the bright orange tail.  It is also an omnivore.

4.      The Northern _______ (hawk) nests in tall, dense clumps of vegetation.

5.      Prairies are characterized by _____, the predominate type of plant. 

6.      _________ grass can be very dangerous to cattle.

7.      The Prairie Orchid has small _____ flowers.

8.      Burrowing Owls do not live in ____grass prairies.

 Across:

1.      The _______ Prairie Chicken lives in tall grass prairies.

9.      ________ are the favorite habitat for coyotes.

10.  The Greater Prairie Chicken has bright ______ sacks on either side of its neck.

11.  The Western Prairie Fringed ______ is on the Endangered Species List.

12.  The Purple Coneflower attracts many ______flies to the prairies.