
Meet the very curious burrowing owl who clearly wonders who the heck you are!

Burrowing Owls are a federally protected species in the US, Canada, and in Mexico. They are designated endangered, threatened, or a species of special concern, in nine US states, including California.

This burrowing owl pair lives at Avian Behavior International in rural Southern California. You cannot keep burrowning owls unless you are licensed and raise them for breeding, conservation, rehabilitation, and/or educational purposes.

These curious and unique ground dwelling birds live in burrows in the ground where they hide from predators and raise their young.

They are tiny, but big in looks and personality! I have only seen them in the wild a few times in the last ten years because they are now very rare where I live. But click and check out this curious wild cutie that I met a few years ago:
Cheers to you from the precious and endangered Southern California burrowing owls~
Loved it. Excellent. ππΉ
Smiling. Thanks very much α
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They are so amazing in their different looks! The eyes a very beautiful. β€οΈ
They are little feathered QT’s! α
They are so photogenic π
And they need no makeup or photoshop! α
Oh my gosh, he’s adorable!
Yes he is! α
Burrowing owls are so cute and friendly.
Yep. Little heart stealers! α
I LOVE owls! They have the most interesting faces and behaviors. They are just adorable in every way. These guys are too cute and I hope we take care of them.
You and I, as usual, are in complete accord Marlene α
You clearly have fortunes good hand at gathering these images (these, and all I’ve seen of yours). It is a gift when a camera is more than mere machine. Rather, it is an expression of how you see (and how the world sees you?) (I think so.) It is relationship in pure form.
I have touched by the sensitivity and thoughtfulness of your words Neil. Thank you sincerely & take good care my friend α
they really are small.. could see the size better in your earlier post.. thanks for the great pictures.. it has an adorable face.
They are tiny little lookers!! α
Adorable!!
Agreed! Cheers to you Michele α
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Theyβre cute little guys.
Yes they are, curious too α
Oh my goodness, how cute!
They are little feathered heartbreakers! α
So adorable!
Agreed! Thank you Holly α
Love ’em … and I love the title! π
Smiling…. Thanks very much & cheers α
I love owls. We have a few living in our trees here, mostly barred owls and great horned owls. I think I’ve seen either saw whet or burrowing owls many years ago. But generally we hear owls more often than we see them. Beautiful birds! Your photos are great!
I know how wonderful it is to live amongst owls. You are lucky to have them around you. They make awesome neighbors! α
Great title and pictures here, Cindy. Let us hope the species continues to be protected and eventually no longer will be considered endangered. Beautiful birds.
Wonderful photos, Cindy. He seems to know you. You must have a rapport π
Smiling. Birds seem to like people who are alone, stand still for ages, and don’t talk….. I think I understand this!! α
I share your hopes my friend & thank you! α
Simply adorable! Great shots, Cindy. π¦π
Thanks very much Jane & cheers to you α
So adorable. Beautiful photographs.
Merci beaucoup mon Ami Gigi α
They are so cute.
Yes. Cuteness personified (or owlified!) α
So true π
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Aww! Beautiful!
They are lookers aren’t they! α
Yes they are π€
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Impressive little guys. Thanks for the info.
You are very welcome α
What a treat! They are such beautiful birds.
Yes, they are! Very pleased you enjoyed them Janis α
Some attitude in that last photo. Wonderful! Thanks for the interesting info.
Small in size but big in personality! Very happy you enjoyed them Michele α
Birds with attitude! Such fabulous photos Cindy I felt I could ruffle their feathers
Smiling. Yes indeed, tiny but mighty! α
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I have read about burrowing owls before so am delighted to see your detailed photographs of them.
So pleased to be able to show you Anne! α
The burrowing owls are the cutest of all the owls. Beautifully captured, Cindy!
They are utterly adorable. Thank you Peter α
They are so beautiful β¦ and so endangered. Ugh. I hope that situation turns around for them soon. Thank you for your gorgeous photos, Cindy. π
Thank you Lynette. I hope so too α
So informative! They are so cute!
Very pleased you like them my friend & cheers to you α
I love owls. So cute!
I love them too! α
I recently got to meet a Mexican horned owl named Tara. Very gently and very sweet.
We have horned owls at The Holler. They are often on our roof. We hoo back and forth at each other. Once at night, one responded to my hooing by dropping down and flying swiftly by my head, close enough to ruffle my hair, but not touching me. Amazing α
Thank you very much for you wonderful photos.
You are so very welcome Marie & cheers to you α
They are cute!
Yes! α
They are gorgeous.Love thier eyes. They would look great as a cuddly toy! π
Yes they would be adorable as a cuddler α
What a cutie Cindy, and a pity to see something so beautiful, so rarely. You’ve educated us, and given us a glimpse. May there be lots more πβ€οΈππ½
Thank you very much Mark and Amen. May there be many more! α
Your usual excellent portraits
So appreciated Derrick. Cheers to you my friend α
They are sooooo cute, but their look seems to go through and through, directly into ones soul. <3
Have a fine weekend, and stay safe, dear Cindy!
Exactly! I think this is exactly what they see. Our souls. Thank you Martha & take good care my friend α
After an involuntary break of six months I’m almost back to normal life and enjoy your pictures and posts pretty much. Thank you for sharing! Cheers, Uwe
So happy you are back & wonderful to hear from you. Thanks much my friend & take good care α
What a beautiful species of owls! Thank you for the photos.
You are most welcome Joy and I am happy you enjoyed them α
They are adorable!
They are α
Thank you Cindy for sharing your amazing shots with us. π
Thank you more for your very kind thoughts my friend α
I had no idea that owls burrowed!
Fascinating isn’t it α
Cute title and pics! β€οΈ
Merci beaucoup mon Ami α
You do get the best playmates Cindy but then I think, so do they.
Massive Hugs
Ohhh, you made me smile David. Thank you my friend & cheers α
They are numerous in Cape Coral, Florida where an ideal habitat was created by developers by accident but their biggest threats are cats, either allowed to roam by their owners or feral cats. Cats get far more than hawks and other birds of prey.
Good & bad. So good you have many of them, not good at all about the cats. Cats are significant killers of threatened songbird species too. I need to visit Cape Coral α
That first photo gave me a bit of a turn. I’m awake now!
Laughing….. He’s looking into your soul and liking what he sees! α
Aww, thanks, Little Owl!
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Oh, what a fabulous fellow. Thanks for sharing these portraits.
Thank you more for appreciating them Margaret & cheers to you α
Wonderful images!
Grazie mille α
I apologize if this is a duplicate comment. I love these little owls and these are great images, Cindy. I read an MG book awhile ago, where there was a group of school children trying to save an area from being developed, where burrowing owls lived. I wish I could remember the title, but it was quite good and had a great message for the next generation about conservation.
I have some memory of what you are talking about. I read about it too. If I recall correctly, they were successful in saving the space for the owls which was wonderful α
Yes they were!
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I love owls – their eyes are incredible. What great pictures!
I love my fellow owl lovers. Thank you Noelle & cheers α
These are charming birds. We have a few that live around us here in West Texas. The like to live near the prairie dog towns that are all around us. I think they borrow the prairie dog’s burrows and have a steady food supply there. Sadly, we don’t see as many as we used to. Thank you for sharing your lovely photos!
Yes they do borrow burrows! Why build a house when you can move right into someone elses. Their decline is so very sad α
Owl Airbnb’s!
Smiling!
Ahhh! I love all owls but Burrowing Owls are probably my favorite π€π€ Thank you for this close-up look at them, Cindy!
They are sweet, brave and curious little amazements α
Such a beautiful birdβ wonderful photos, Cindy. State of the Birds 2022 just came out and the news is saddening, so many birds are declining, many are favorites. A majority are shore birdsβ we need to start restoring wetlands and other wild habitats or we will lose these gorgeous birds.
It is so horrible. All the canaries in caves worldwide are singing to warn us and we are ignoring them ):
I LOVE these little owls. So adorable. Your photos are great!!
I α my friends who α owls!
What a hoot! π They are adorable owls, and seemingly quite friendly and curious. How fun to see a wild one willing to model for you Cindy!
Yes it was quite thrilling. He may be tiny, but he is mighty! α
Thank you so much for introducing burrowing owl to us! These photos are stunning. The details… WoW!
Awww….. Thanks much Amy α
Thanks for the smile this morning, so cute!!!!!
You just made me smile so we’re even! α
Awww! They are precious with their big round eyes!
They are indeed. Cheers to you Kerry α
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Fantastic.
What a hoot!
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Smiling! Grazie Graham α
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Gorgeous photos! I love owls!
What wonderful photos!
Thanks much Dawn. I hope Murph is feeling better. Sorry for both of you and sending healing hopes his way α
Love those eyes and nails!! Thanks for sharing this cute couple π
They are serious QT’s aren’t they! Happy you like them Val & cheers α
Just love those owls!
I α my friends who α owls! Thank you June α
Love owls, but have actually never seen one (except for Tawny Frogmouths which are a differenet species). You images are superb and beautifully composed.
So apppreciated Vicki. Thank you sincerely. I have seen a tawny frogmouth. I have photos of it. Amazing bird. I think they are in the nightjar family α
What an amazing owl Cindy, your photos are a wonderful showcasing of this beautiful bird π
Honored you think so & thank you for letting me know. Cheers to you α
Owl intoduce myself. Iβm Hootiful Houdini. Lol! These are owlstanding shotsβ¦Iβm talon you, my friend. [αΛ΅βΛ΅α] β€οΈπ
Hootiful Houdini? Priceless clever one α
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Tanks Cindy. Amazing and powerful pics
So appreciated! Thank you & cheers to you α
Fabulous.. and those clear eyes!!!
Thanks much. They are amazing aren’t they! α
Out of their burrow to pose for you π
Quite thoughtful of him! π
Stunningly beautiful one of my favourite birds π x
Mine too. Owls are fascinating creatures and I am happy you like them Carol α
I had no idea that some owls burrow. Outstanding photos, Cindy!
It is quite a creative concept for a bird isn’t it. Thanks much Jennie & Happy Thanksgiving α
Yes, it really is. Happy Thanksgiving to you, Cindy!
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Absolutely adorable, Cindy, spectacular shots!
Merci beaucoup mon Ami Lisa α
What a beautiful owl! I love owls! Happy Thanksgiving wishes Cindy!
Happy Thanksgiving dear Lisa α
Cindy, I know you posted these darling owls just for me … and I thank you!! They are just so cute, and I’d love to hold one — gently! — in my hand. Their eyes look so intelligent, and I love the tiny “wedding bands” they have wrapped around their legs!
How did you know? I certainly did post them for you! Your comments make me smile. Have an awesome day α
Such beautiful burrowing owls, Cindy! I’m glad they are protected–much easier to photograph! π
The wild ones are actually easy to photograph as you can see with the wild guy I made friends with. The difficult part with wild burrowning owls is finding them because they are so rare now α
It’s amazing that something with such big claws can still look cute – it must be those amazing eyes!
Well, eyes are the windows to the soul! Maybe your seeing into his true soul α
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Many thanks Sharon α
These pictures are so precious! Fabulous captures.
Awww….. So pleased you enjoyed & thank you very much α
Looks like he is saying “WHAT!!!” lol. Love the pic. Cindy.
He does look like! Pleased you enjoyed Darnell and let me know Darnell. Cheers my friend α
Beautiful eyes. I’m wondering why a gold ring is on the left claw? <3
The eyes definitely have it!!! That is is identifier tag for legal requirements. Cheers to you my friend α
Aren’t they gorgeous? I bet they’re equally soft as well. It’s heartbreaking to think so many species are endangered or extinct. I’m glad you’re able to share and inform with your wonderful photos.
Yes. It is heartbreaking. Thank you for caring my friend & take good care α
awwwww π₯°ππ
So cute!
Yes they are QT’s! α
Funny, but beautiful!
Happy you enjoyed Alexander & cheers to you α
I am not tired to say, you live in birds paradiseπΉ
Smiling. Take good care my friend α
Thank youπ
I love owls of any sort, but these little ones are particularly cute! Thanks for these delightful closeups. I recently came across this effort to help them survive and prosper. https://www.myoregon.gov/2020/06/08/burrowing-owls-find-unique-nests-at-camp-umatilla/ (Thought you might find it of interest?)
How wonderful that people commit their time and effort to save these magical creatures. Thank you so much for sharing this with me! So encouraging α
Just so cute
Yes they are! Take good care Charlotte α
Fabulous shots, Cindy! Just too cute for words.
Thank you very much Eugenia, they are ultimate QT’s α
My pleasure, Cindy.
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i Love owls. And these are just lovely
I love them too Manuela α
Cindy, thank you so much for these wonderful photographs!
Thank you much more Charles for being you αα
Cindy, it seems once again that I cannot reblog your post. That is a shame.
Yes. WP again. I foolishly tried, and then removed, a plug-in WP advertised as optimal, because it clearly wasn’t. Removing it shut down my site. I got the site restored via a helpful WP engineer. Now I have to try to remove the mess the plug-in left behind. Thanks to you, I will now work on it more. Thank you Charles for continuing to alert me. I hope all is well with you & take good care αα
I think I added the WP share button. Can you see if it is enabled for you?
They’re so awwdorable, we only have seen them in a Zoo where they did a great performanceπGreat pictures Cindy. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Double Pawkisses for a Happy WeekendπΎπ½π
Happy post Thanksgiving to you my friend and thank you. You are right!They are simply awwwdorable creatures α
Beautiful birds.
All creatures great and small α
Wonderful to get these close-up views of the burrowing owls, Cindy.
So sad to hear they are endangered! I hope the right people are taking measures to keep their species alive and well. Thank you for the heads up and super pics!! π
We did time time in Florida – love the wildlife, not crazy about the heat – and watching burrowing owls was a definite perk.
Yep. I understand from Florida bloggers, about how the state has lots of burrowing owls. Amazing to me and clearly a perk α
How beautiful!
Yes. He is so beautiful α
So adorable, these are great close up images.
I am so happy you enjoyed them! Thank you very much α
I think I watch a show once about a burrowing owl on a golf course… I think they were able to trasfer it to a new area where it met others and a mate!
Yes. I may have read this too. Love people who care α
I love these owls so much! They have such beautifully expressive faces. Wonderful photos.
So happy you enjoyed & thank you Bridgette! α