The Owl Salute

One of the most misunderstood birds in nature yet loved by many is the owl. I recently did a watercolor drawing for the Texas Parks and Wildlife bird art contest. Artist could draw any bird as long as they bird was a native of Texas. They provided a list of Texas native birds we could chose from. We had to place the bird in their natural habitat as well. I studied the list of birds for awhile and decided that I had wanted to draw an owl. I paid close attention to the markings of a certain species of an owl known as the Burrowing Owl. When most people think of an owl they tend to think of only one kind of owl. Yet the United States has nineteen native species of owl!

This is the Burrowing Owl. It’s native habitat is the grasslands and deserts of Texas, Southern New Mexico, Southern Arizona, and Southern California. They are called Burrowing Owls because they will often create their homes by burrowing into the earth. When they need a new place to live they will take over abandoned prairie dog, ground squirrel, or tortoise tunnels. Burrowing Owls love to hunt for insects.

These amazing birds are well camouflaged for their surroundings but they have been declining in population. This is due to human population taking over their landscape. They also have had a decline due to the decline in prarie dogs and ground squirrels. Due to the lack of prairie dogs and ground squirrels the Burrow Owls have made their own adjustments. They have been known to make their new home in PVC pipes. Everything is connected. We need to remember that.