Diet

What do burrowing owls eat?

Large insects and small rodents, hunted day and night.

Owls (Strigidae)Burrowing OwlAthene cunicularia

Spring and summer diet

  • Grasshoppers, beetles, scorpions and voles

Fall and winter diet

  • Rodents and insects

Best feeder foods

  • None — open short-grass ground with burrows is the habitat

Lives in prairie-dog and ground-squirrel burrows; artificial burrows are used where habitat is scarce.

Which feeder works best for burrowing owls →

Where burrowing owls need winter food

Regions where burrowing owls are present in the cold months:

Frequently asked

What do burrowing owls eat?

Large insects and small rodents, hunted day and night.

What is the best food to feed burrowing owls?

None — open short-grass ground with burrows is the habitat.

What do burrowing owls eat in winter?

Rodents and insects.

Sources

  1. Burrowing Owl — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  2. Burrowing Owl life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  3. Burrowing Owl — Audubon Guide to North American Birds

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.