Reports
Sunnylea Junior School
The Borrowing Owl
| My research report is on the burrowing owl. The burrowing owl is a bird. In Canada the burrowing owl is endangered. The burrowing owl's scientific name is atheline cuniclaria. In this report I have these topics, appearance, habitat, food, threats, and interesting facts. This report helps you learn more about the burrowing owl so you can help it too! The burrowing owl is a small owl. It has a small head, long slim legs, bright yellow eyes and a short tail. The burrowing owl is grayish brown with white eyebrows. It has a white abdomen with brown bars and a white throat with a dark brown half collar. The males are larger than the females and the females are darker than the males. In Canada the burrowing owl can be found in Manitoba, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. The land is dry and open, short grass or treeless prairies. The owl lives in burrows dug by other ground dwelling animals or makes one by kicking dirt out with its legs. Other ground dwelling animals include ground squirrels, badgers, foxes, and prairie dogs. The owls are often found near farm yards. he burrowing owl is a carnivore. The burrowing owl eats small birds, such as sparrows and horned larks. The burrowing owl eats rodents such as mice and rats. The burrowing owl eat gophers and ground squirrels. Mainly the owl eats beetles, and grasshoppers. They also eat reptiles and amphibians like lizards, scorpions, bats and young cottontail rabbits.The burrowing owl has many threats. Pesticides are sprayed on crops and poison the animals which the owls eat. Either food sources die or poison the owls. When the owl sticks it's head out of the hole it may be mistaken for a gopher and get shot. Predators include larger birds. Some owls are killed by vehicles. The owls have fewer burrows because the holes are being filled in and grasslands are changed to croplands. The number of badgers, prairie dogs and squirrels are dropping. There are many interesting facts about the burrowing owl. One fact is it lines its next with cow or horse dung to fool predators. Another is it hovers when hunting. One more it is lays 7-8 white eggs. When it's one month old it knows how to fly. The burrowing owl also copies the rattle snakes buzz to frighten predators. By Andrew
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Copyright 1997, 2000 - Joan Goble and René de Vries
