What are burrowing owls?
If you drive along rural roads on a spring or summer day in the Tri-City area, you may be lucky enough to see a burrowing owl perched atop a fencepost or sitting on a dirt mound near the entrance to its nest. As the bird’s name suggests, this small, round-headed owl with long legs and yellow eyes lives in a hole in the ground made by badgers and other burrowing animals. Badger Canyon is one place you might spot this migratory resident of the Columbia Basin. Look for a buffy white and brown bird, 8 to 10 inches tall, that is active both during the day and at night. Listen for its call, a cooing similar to that of a mourning dove. How do burrowing owls live? In eastern Washington, burrowing owls choose burrows in sagebrush stands, open fields, near golf courses, and along road cut banks–areas surrounded by bare ground or short grass where other burrows are located. The burrow’s nest cavity is located at the end of a 5- to 10-foot tunnel that usually has at least one turn. The owls line
