Burrowing Owls: The Tiny Owls That Live in Florida Lawns

Most owls hide in trees and hunt at night. Florida’s burrowing owls do neither. They stand out in the open on long legs in broad daylight, glaring at passersby from beside a hole in the ground, and one Florida city has thousands of them.

Owls That Dig

The Florida burrowing owl is a small, round-eyed owl barely nine inches tall that nests underground rather than in trees. It digs or borrows a burrow in dry, sandy soil, then stands sentry at the entrance, bobbing and swiveling its head at anything that comes near. Unlike most owls, it is active during the day, hunting insects and lizards across open ground. For all its fierce stares, it is small enough to hold in one hand.

The Capital of Cape Coral

Cape Coral, on the southwest coast, has the largest population of burrowing owls in Florida, with thousands nesting on vacant lots and front yards across the city. Residents mark and protect the burrows with simple wooden perches and rope, and the owl is the official city bird, celebrated each year with a Burrowing Owl Festival. It is a rare case of a wild animal and a fast-growing city learning to share the same ground.

Look, Do Not Disturb

Burrowing owls are a state-protected, threatened species, and their burrows are legally off limits to disturb. You can spot them year round in Cape Coral and in open country, pastures, and airfields elsewhere in Florida, often by looking for a small marked stake on an empty lot. Watch from a distance, keep dogs away, and enjoy the strange sight of an owl that decided the ground was a perfectly good place to live.