Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Material on this page was provided by Paul Smith, Juan Mazar Barnett, Hemme Batjes and Rebecca Zarza and is used with their permission.
BURROWING OWL Athene cunicularia
The Burrowing Owl is a strange little owl. Not only is it active by day, but it is sociable, living in small family groups. Strangest of all though it lives underground, occupying abandoned armadillo burrows to raise its brood. Burrowing Owls are mainly insect eaters, and pellets filled with indigestibale items such as wing cases of beetles are regurgitated and may be found in the area where they live. Studies have even suggested that Burrowing Owls place pieces of animal dung in the area around their nest burrow, deliberately to attract insects, thereby reducing the amount of work they have to do in looking for them themselves!
Click on the images to enlarge them.
FIGURE 1 - (FPAVE3162PH) Pair at entrance to nest burrow, location unknown (Rebecca Zarza undated).
FIGURE 2 - (FPAVE3163PH) Adult, Campo Maria Private Reserve, Cuenca Upper Yacaré Sur (Paul Smith September 2006).
FIGURE 3 - (FPAVE3164PH) Adult lateral, Lolita, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Paul Smith October 2007).
FIGURE 4 - (FPAVE3165PH) Adult at entrance to burrow, Lolita, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Paul Smith October 2007).
FIGURE 5 - (FPAVE3295PH) Adult, Cuenca Upper Yacaré Sur, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Paul Smith February 2012).
FIGURE 6 - (FPAVE3166PH) Adult upperwing, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith February).
FIGURE 7 - (FPAVE3167PH) Underwing same individual (Paul Smith February).
FIGURE 8 - (FPAVE3168PH) Juvenile, Estancia Laguna Blanca, Departamento San Pedro (Hemme Batjes November 2005).
FIGURE 9 - (FPAVE3169PH) Juveniles, Estancia Laguna Blanca, Departamento San Pedro (Paul Smith December 2011).
FIGURE 10 - (FPAVE3170PH) Nest burrow,  Estancia Laguna Blanca, Departamento San Pedro (Paul Smith November 2005).
VIDEO A - (FPAVE3171VI) Adult alarm calling, Estancia Laguna Blanca, Departamento San Pedro (Paul Smith September 2006).
VIDEO B - (FPAVE3172VI) Adult head bobbing, Estancia Señorita, Departamento San Pedro (Paul Smith December 2009)
VIDEO C - (FPAVE3296VI) Same individual as (FPAVE3295PH) (Paul Smith February 2012)
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Athene cunicularia
1 (FPAVE3173RE) song-like calls recorded Aguara-Ñu, Mbaracayú Biosphere Reserve, Departamento Canindeyú (Juan Mazar Barnett December 1997).
Click the link to hear the call. Longer versions of this call can be downloaded from the Paraguay page of our partner website Xeno-Canto - the largest collection of freely downloadable Neotropical bird calls available online.