Dispatches from a Desert Isle: Owls

"Knock-knock."
                        "Who's there?"
"Who."
                         "Who-Who?"

OWLS!!!!!

There are many Owls on this Desert Isle, but you asked me especially about two of them, so that's what I have found for you, my wee nature lovers.

First the Elf Owl:

Elfies sure are cute! and tiny!

Life-sized elf owl!!!!

They live in this region:



and like to nest in cacti-holes because no one can get them there.

"What me, eat bugs?"

Links on this website don't work, so cut and paste to find their "All's Well" call:
http://www.owlpages.com/sounds/Micrathene-whitneyi-1.mp3

and C&P this to hear them be alarmed: 
http://www.owlpages.com/sounds/Micrathene-whitneyi-2.mp3
(scroll down this page to hear more calls)




And here are two talking to each other, probably about food. 

And last but not least, what you really want to see... tiny elf owlets! 

Elflets?

Okay, Elf Owls are pretty great, so there can't be another local owl that interesting, can there? Oh yes there are...

Burrowing Owls 

Burrowers are called Burrowers because...



they live in burrows (duh). 

<-- Also in pipes, if they find a good one, like this one. 

Very sleek and modern, don't you think?
















They have a much larger range than Elfies.





And they sound different:

Here's their "What's up?" call

Here's their "Watch out!" call

 ....and they don't mess around eating only lame old bugs.

WHAAAAAAAT?????

That used to be a frog!

but bad-ass Burrower doesn't stop there, oh no... he'll totally try to catch a BADGER!

 and you would too, if you had two cutie puffs like this waiting at home for you.

 (perhaps you can make out some pleading words in their weak little voices)

"Mommy, can you catch us an elephant, pretty please?"
"Yeah, or a whale? We're reeeeeeeallly hungry!"

Here's a clip of a Burrower getting huffy about a turtle nosing into his business,

and here, a more detailed view of their burrows, plus... Burrowing Owls love BISON POOP!

Check out the video here

But wait, there's more!

BONUS OWL!!!

Don't forget the Pygmy Owl, who is pretty cute, too. Here he is living in a Saguaro cactus! 

There are fewer than 50 left, but the US refuses to put them on the Endangered List!

They mostly live in Mexico but also in Arizona, though only in Tucson and farther south. They are a teeeeeeeeny bit bigger and heavier than our elves.

You can hear a Pygmy Owl call and see its habitat here

And that's not all! (Holy Hedwig!)

DID YOU KNOW?????

The genus of Owls is "Athene" after the Greek Goddess of Wisdom, Athena. 





Here's a standard depiction of Athena 
(with a flying person in her hand)...

one with her running away(?) 
and an owl taking fight from her heel...

...and

one

MASSIVE

one 

with a winged person

AND...

a SNAKE!

Scary.

What's the connection between owls and snakes, you ask? 

Read the next wildlife post very carefully, and you'll find out.

Finally, here's a coin that feature's Athena's Owl. 

Haven't we seen that somewhere before?


BONUS INFO: Owls (many not from the region)

with lots of pictures!