Diego
Burrowing Owl Ambassador
Male
2011 / Juvenile
Head injury
About Diego
Diego came from a Kingman animal clinic. Liberty’s medical staff discovered that he had experienced an injury to his head, and he demonstrated that the injury had affected his natural instincts to survive in the wild. As a non-releasable, he became a welcome member of the education team.
Since Diego’s good friend was named Frida, after Frida Kahlo, Diego was named for Deigo Rivera, Frida’s husband.
Description
Burrowing owls have long legs and short tails, round heads, and no ear tufts. They have brown, cream, and white plumage.
Habitat
Burrowing owls live in open habitats with sparse vegetation such as prairie, pastures, or desert, and airports. They are closely associated with prairie dogs and ground squirrels, whose burrows they use for nests.
Range
The burrowing owl is found in Western North America, through Mexico, Central and South America.
Life Span
Estimates of life span range from 3 to 11 years in the wild. In captivity, they have lived for over 10 years.
Prey / Food
Burrowing owls hunt mostly at dawn and dusk. They tend to hunt insects during the day and small mammals at night.
Babies / Nests
Burrowing owls live in burrows abandoned by prairie dogs, ground squirrels, skunks, or tortoises. Burrowing owls lay 2 – 12 eggs in a clutch. Babies hatch after about 28 – 30 days. The young leave the burrow in 44 – 53 days.
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