Two Burrowing Owls Come Out From Suburban Front Lawn And Start Dancing

Mar 13, 2020 by apost team

Wildlife photographer Megan Lorenz set up a camera on her lawn in and ended up filming a pair of burrowing owls that came out of their burrow and began 'dancing'. 

The owl nearest the camera treated viewers to such nifty moves such as head bobs and weaves, while the other owl was notably less active. The first owl hunkered down and finished its routine by opening its beak and hissing at the camera. The last few seconds of footage show it biting the camera.

Two years later, Lorenz filmed four owls dancing in front of the same suburban house. They performed some more elaborate moves, with one owl flying into the scene. Another owl took a snack break when it ate what looked like a snake or a very large worm. Watch the second video here.

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Burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia) are owls native to the Americas. There are 20 subspecies, some of which are migratory. They are small but have notably long legs that enable them to sprint. As their name suggests, they do live in burrows. While some owls dig their own burrows, most use burrows made by other animals like prairie dogs. Contrary to some folklore, burrowing owls do not share their burrows with prairie dogs, rattlesnakes, or any other animals.

While burrowing owls can be active during the day, they do most of their hunting at night, like most owls. They feed mainly on insects and small mammals but have been known to also eat frogs, lizards, and snakes.

As cute as the dancing was, it appears to have actually been a threat display, as the video ended with one owl attacking the camera. Burrowing owls hiss when they feel threatened – and the noise is said to resemble that of a rattlesnake. It is an effective way of telling intruders to “Go away!”

Head-bobbing also indicates that the owl is agitated by something. Owls will also bend and weave their heads when they want to get a better look at something. An owl’s eyes are so large that they cannot move in their sockets, so they need to turn their whole head when looking at something.

How cute were these owls? Have you had something similar happen in your backyard? Let us know in the comments – and make sure you pass this along to your friends and family!