When do burrowing owls arrive in Kansas?
The Burrowing Owl is a summer breeder in Kansas — here is when to expect it, when it leaves, and how to be ready.
Burrowing Owl timing in Kansas
- Arrives
- Around February
- Leaves
- By August
- Status here
- Summer breeder
- Nesting season
- March–July
- Present roughly
- February–August
In Kansas, burrowing owls are present through the warm months, arriving around February and heading south again by August.
These windows are set by latitude: Kansas sits in the middle part of this species' range, so timing here tracks the continental average closely. In any given year, weather can move the first arrivals by a week or two either way.
Month by month in this state
Highlighted months are when burrowing owls are expected in Kansas. The edges of the window are the interesting weeks — first arrivals and last departures vary most from year to year.
Getting ready before they arrive
The week before February is the time to act. Have feeders cleaned, filled and out by early February — the first burrowing owls into Kansas are scouting for reliable food, and a station that's ready early gets added to their route.
Once nesting begins around March, adults switch to protein-rich food for their young and visits to feeders become quick and purposeful. Expect the busiest activity at dawn.
What burrowing owls eat while they're here
- Grasshoppers, beetles, scorpions and voles
Lives in prairie-dog and ground-squirrel burrows; artificial burrows are used where habitat is scarce.
Full Burrowing Owl diet guide → · Best feeder for burrowing owls →
Native plants that hold burrowing owls in Kansas
Food keeps a migrant for a day; habitat keeps it for the season. These Kansas-native plants are known to attract burrowing owls:
Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.
Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.
Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Lipid-rich red fruit fuels fall migrants.
Late nectar for insects and fall seed for sparrows.
Keep exploring
Frequently asked
When do burrowing owls arrive in Kansas?
burrowing owls typically arrive in Kansas around February, with nesting underway by March. Timing can shift a week or two with the weather in any given year.
When do burrowing owls leave Kansas?
Most burrowing owls have left Kansas by August. They spend the winter farther south and return the following spring.
Do burrowing owls stay in Kansas all year?
No — in Kansas the Burrowing Owl is a summer breeder, present roughly February–August. Outside that window it is rarely seen in the state.
What should I put out before burrowing owls arrive in Kansas?
Have feeders up and clean by early February — first arrivals scout reliable food sources. Good offerings for this species: grasshoppers, beetles, scorpions and voles.
Sources
- Burrowing Owl — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Burrowing Owl life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Burrowing Owl — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Kansas
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.