Burrowing Owl

Open edition: Museum-quality giclée print on matte fine art paper (acid-free). Vibrant, long-lasting archival inks. Artist’s digitally printed signature.

5×7” (13×18 cm) — 8×10” (20×25 cm)

8×10” (20×25 cm) — 12×16” (30×41 cm)

12×17” (30×43 cm) — 16×20” (41×51 cm)

16×20” (41×51 cm) — 18×24” (46×61 cm)

20×30” (51×76 cm) — 24×36” (61×91 cm)

Frame not included. Print includes a white border for flexible framing options.

Fits Standard Frames

Works with most stock frames (slight adjustment may be needed)

Border allows trimming to fit your frame perfectly

Edge-to-edge fit with many matted frames

Border Benefits

Extra paper for mounting tabs

Accommodates wider or taller matte windows

Shows clean paper edge instead of print edge for a polished look

Pro Tip: For a perfect fit, pair with a custom matte in your stock frame.

Constant awareness of surroundings

Burrowing Owls are active both day and night, spending much of their time standing at burrow entrances scanning for threats and opportunities. They bob and weave their heads to gain depth perception, tracking movement across the grassland with piercing yellow eyes. This represents maintaining awareness without anxiety, understanding that vigilance means staying present and observant rather than fearful.

Using what's available

Unlike most owls, Burrowing Owls nest underground in burrows—often abandoned by prairie dogs, ground squirrels, or tortoises. They line burrow entrances with mammal dung, which attracts beetles and masks their scent from predators. When threatened, chicks produce hissing calls that mimic rattlesnake warnings. This represents creative problem-solving with available resources, understanding that thriving means adapting to conditions rather than requiring ideal circumstances.

Thriving in unexpected places

Burrowing Owls inhabit open grasslands, prairies, deserts, and even vacant lots in urban areas—ecosystems most owls avoid. They hunt on foot as often as from the air, running after insects and small prey. They've learned to coexist with humans in agricultural areas, golf courses, and airports. This represents flexibility in habitat and method, understanding that success comes from adjusting to environment rather than resisting change.

Burrowing Owls inhabit open, treeless areas throughout the Americas, from southern Canada through South America. In North America, they're found primarily in western grasslands, prairies, and deserts, with isolated populations in Florida and the Caribbean. They require short vegetation for hunting visibility and existing burrows for nesting. Northern populations migrate south for winter, while southern populations are year-round residents. They've adapted to human-modified landscapes including agricultural fields, pastures, golf courses, and vacant lots.

Common Name: Burrowing Owl
Scientific Name: Athene cunicularia
Length: 7.5-9.8 inches (19-25 cm)
Weight: 5.3-8.5 ounces (150-240 grams)
Wingspan: 21.6 inches (55 cm)
Sexual Dimorphism: Males and females look similar, though males are slightly larger and females are typically darker in coloration
Coloration: Brown plumage with white spots and barring, white eyebrows, bright yellow eyes, long pale legs. Sandy-brown overall with spotted breast and barred tail
Distinctive Features: Long, thin legs adapted for ground dwelling; short tail; round head without ear tufts; bright yellow eyes; prominent white chin stripe; ability to turn head 270 degrees; stands upright on ground with alert posture

Burrowing Owls are primarily crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk) but also hunt during day and night. Unlike most owls, they frequently hunt on foot, running and hopping after insects, small mammals, and lizards. They also hover-hunt and perch-hunt from fence posts and mounds. Their diet consists mainly of insects (beetles, grasshoppers, crickets) and small rodents.

They're colonial nesters, with multiple pairs often nesting in close proximity. They don't dig their own burrows but adopt and modify existing ones, excavating with their feet and bills. Both parents defend the nest, with males doing most hunting during incubation and early chick-rearing. Females lay 6-11 eggs, incubating for 28-30 days. Young fledge at about 44 days but remain near parents for several weeks.

Burrowing Owls are among the most vocal owls. Their primary call is a two-note "coo-coooo"—the vocalization featured on this artwork. They also produce chattering calls, screams, and a distinctive rattlesnake-like hiss when threatened in their burrows. Males call frequently during breeding season, often from elevated perches near burrows. They use a variety of visual displays including head-bobbing, wing-spreading, and bill-clapping.

The Flora Fauna Collection began in 2007 as an ongoing visual study of wildlife from around the world. Each piece captures both the essential form of a species and the unique character it embodies—celebrating natural beauty while revealing what makes each animal distinct.

Featured in British Vanity Fair, IDN Magazine, Dwell, Apartment Therapy, Design Milk, and Complex. The collection appeals to wildlife enthusiasts, design-focused collectors, and those who find personal meaning in the animals they choose to live with.

Designed for modular display and gradual collecting. These prints work individually as accent pieces or grouped to create personal galleries. Build a collection by region, habitat, aesthetic preference, or personal connection.

Your print is made to order and ships from the closest production location to you, helping reduce delivery time and the chance of customs delays. Facilities are located across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Europe, the U.K., Australia, and Japan. Most orders ship from within the same region they’re delivered to.

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Production

2–5 business days for production fulfillment

Shipping

Estimated delivery (after production):
US: 3–8 business days
Canada / Europe / Australia: 5–12 business days
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These are estimates and not guarantees — delivery times may vary during high-demand seasons

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Here’s what you need to know:

Order earlier than usual to ensure holiday delivery.

Carriers may apply seasonal surcharges and experience longer processing times.

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