File:Birds and nature in natural colors. (1913) (14565352708).jpg

Identifier: birdsnatureinnat04unse (find matches)
Title: Birds and nature in natural colors.
Year: 1913 (1910s)
Authors:
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: Chicago : A.W. Mumford, Publisher
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: BHL-SIL-FEDLINK

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shelter independently of each other. It is notat all strange that the snakes should also enter these holes. It may be that theydo so for the want of some other retreat on a broad expanse of prairie, but it ismuch more probable that they are in search of food, either in the form of youngdogs or the eggs of the Owl. Though the Burrowing Owls are found with theburrowing mammals, they do not occupy the same holes with, them and do with-out doubt drive them out if they wish to pre-empt the burrows for their own use. Though the Burrowing Owl probably obtains most of its food in the earlytwilight, it is frequently in motion on the brightest days, capturing its prey orevading its pursuer with the greatest ease. Like the sparrowhawk, it frequentlyhovers in the air and drops upon its prey. Its food consists of the smaller rodents,including the young of the prairie dog, frogs, fish, lizards, snakes and insects ofvarious kinds. In fact, its food is so varied and consists of noxious animals to 744
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BURROWING OWL.Speotyto cunicularia hypog:aea.)K Life-size. COPYRIGHT 1 902, Bt A. W. MUMFORD, CHICAGO so great an extent that it is of great service to the agriculturist. Dr. Fisher says:In summer and fall, when grasshoppers and crickets are exceedingly abundanton the western plaine, the Burrowing Owl feeds almost exclusively on such food.Like the sparrowhawk, this little Owl will chase and devour grasshoppers untilits stomach is distended to the utmost. It is rare and only when pressed forfood that it attacks and kills other birds. Dr. C. S. Canfield gives the following account of its nesting habits: I oncetook pains to dig out a nest of the Burrowing Owl. I found the burrow wasabout four feet long and the nest was only about two feet from the surface ofthe ground. The nest was made in a cavity of the ground, of about a foot indiameter, well filled with dry, soft horse-dung, bits of an old blanket and the furof a coyote that I had killed a few days before. One of the parent birds was

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