Burrowing owls in California primarily rely upon burrows dug by ground squirrels for nesting sites. They require open fields with adequate food supply for foraging habitat, low vegetative cover to allow them to watch for predators, and adequate roosting sites. These owls can often be seen perched or standing by their burrow; or hunting insects, rodents, amphibians, or very small birds in the open fields. In the Silicon Valley region of the San Francisco Bay Area of California, this 9-inch owl has seen most of its natural home paved over by high-tech complexes and office parks.
The city of Mountain View, California created, within 50 feet of a well-used bike path in Shoreline Park, a Burrowing Owl habitat__using PVC pipe installed in a small mound of earth. Several generations of owls have been successfully raised in this man-made nesting area. And since this owl is out and about during daylight hours, the adults and offspring have allowed park users to get well acquainted with this interesting and lively owl.
The last image in this gallery is of an owl located near the entrance of the Environmental Education Center in Alviso, California. The owl was using an abandoned galvanized drainage pipe as it's burrow instead of the enlarged ground squirrel holes favored by most of the Burrowing Owls in this area.