How to attract burrowing owls to your yard
Burrowing Owls respond to four things: the right food, the right plants, water and safe nesting cover. Here is what each means for this particular bird, drawn from its range across 20 states and provinces.
First: is it in your area, and when?
You can only attract a bird that passes through or lives near you, so start with timing. The Burrowing Owl is a year-round resident in 5 states and provinces, including Arizona, California, Florida, New Mexico, Texas — there, a yard can host it in every season. It arrives only to breed in 14, such as Alberta, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Manitoba, Montana and 8 more, so set up before spring arrival. It is a winter visitor in 1, including Louisiana, where feeders and winter fruit matter most.
Plant what burrowing owls use
These native plants are tied to the Burrowing Owl in our regional plant lists (Audubon Native Plants and state sources). The count shows how many states or provinces list the plant for this bird — higher means it works across more of the range. Pick the ones native where you live.
| Plant | Type | States | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chokecherry Prunus virginiana | Shrub | 14 | Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load. |
| Tall goldenrod Solidago altissima | Perennial | 14 | Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter. |
| American elderberry Sambucus canadensis | Shrub | 11 | Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species. |
| Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa | Tree | 11 | Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load. |
| Rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa | Shrub | 11 | Late-season bloom supports insects; seed for sparrows. |
| Black cherry Prunus serotina | Tree | 10 | Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees. |
| New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae | Perennial | 9 | Late nectar for insects and fall seed for sparrows. |
| Ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa | Tree | 9 | Seeds and bark insects; pygmy nuthatch and woodpecker habitat. |
| Douglas fir Pseudotsuga menziesii | Tree | 6 | Seed for crossbills, siskins and chickadees. |
| Flowering dogwood Cornus florida | Tree | 6 | Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers. |
Your list covers 3 plant layers (shrub, perennial, tree). Layering matters: mixing shrub, perennial, tree gives burrowing owls food, perches and cover at different heights. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.
Offer the food it actually eats
Large insects and small rodents, hunted day and night.
- Warm months
- Grasshoppers, beetles, scorpions and voles
- Cold months
- Rodents and insects
- At feeders
- None — open short-grass ground with burrows is the habitat
Feeder style matters as much as food: shallow bird bath (1–2 in deep) is the first choice for this bird. Lives in prairie-dog and ground-squirrel burrows; artificial burrows are used where habitat is scarce. Feeder guide →
Give it a place to nest
Natural site: Underground burrow, often dug by mammals.
It does not use nest boxes, so the way to host a nest is cover: keep dense native shrubs, vines or trees of the kind listed above, and avoid pruning them during the nesting season.
- Clutch
- 4–12 eggs
- Incubation
- 28 days
- Nestling period
- 44 days
- Broods per year
- 1 per season
Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around February in Arizona but not until April in Wyoming. Don't trim shrubs or clean boxes during those months.
Water, safety and patience
- A shallow bath (1–2 in deep) with a rough bottom, refreshed every 2–3 days; a dripper or heater makes it far more attractive in summer heat and winter freeze.
- Place feeders within 3 ft of windows or more than 30 ft away to cut window strikes, and keep cats indoors.
- Skip pesticides — most backyard birds feed insects to their nestlings, even seed-eaters.
- Give it time. New feeders and plantings can take days to weeks to be found; residents usually find a stocked yard first.
Frequently asked
What attracts burrowing owls to a yard?
Food they actually eat (none — open short-grass ground with burrows is the habitat), native plants such as Chokecherry, Tall goldenrod, American elderberry, clean water and suitable nesting cover: underground burrow, often dug by mammals.
What plants attract burrowing owls?
Across the Burrowing Owl's range, the native plants most often tied to it are Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), Tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima), American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa), Rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa). Choose the ones native to your state.
When should I set up my yard for nesting burrowing owls?
Nesting starts around February in Arizona and as late as April in Wyoming. Have cover, water ready a month before.
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
- 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.