The Burrowing Owl in Puerto Rico: status and history

What the Burrowing Owl is

The Burrowing Owl is a small owl, 7.5–9.8 inches (19–25 cm) long, with long legs, barred underparts, and terrestrial habits. It lives in grasslands, prairies, farmland, and open places with very short grass or bare soil, including airports, golf courses, and vacant lots. Unlike most owls it is active by day, especially when breeding, though it hunts mostly at dusk and at night.

It nests and roosts in burrows that it rarely digs itself, usually reusing tunnels made by other animals. It nests in colonies, lays 6 to 11 eggs, and incubates for 28 to 30 days, according to our catalog data. Its voice includes a mellow “coo-coooo” repeated twice and liquid cackling. In Spanish it goes by many names: mochuelo de madriguera in Spain, lechucita vizcachera in Argentina, tecolote llanero in Mexico.

The fossils from Puerto Rico and Mona

Pregill and Olson (1981) summarized Burrowing Owl fossils from Jamaica, Cayman Brac, Mona, Puerto Rico, Barbuda, Antigua, and two Bahamian islands. Of the Puerto Rican material they wrote that it is quite distinct from the other populations and may represent a different species. In other words, the island may have had its own burrowing owl, now gone.

These bones come from late Pleistocene cave deposits, from the time of the last glaciation. The same Puerto Rican cave deposits hold other birds that no longer live here, such as the cave barn owl Tyto cavatica. Together they show that Puerto Rico's owl community was more diverse than it is today.

Why it disappeared: the loss of dry habitat

Pregill and Olson describe the Burrowing Owl as a bird of dry places: arid prairie or open scrub with soft, sandy soil for burrows. At the end of the Pleistocene the West Indian climate became wetter and forests expanded. To these authors, the owl's present West Indian distribution is a relict best explained by the loss of that dry, open habitat.

In historical times the species was known in the Greater Antilles region only from the Bahamas and Hispaniola, and in the Lesser Antilles from Nevis, Antigua, and Marie-Galante. The Lesser Antillean populations, two endemic subspecies, went extinct, presumably wiped out by introduced predators. It is a useful warning for Puerto Rico, where Wetmore already blamed the mongoose for the decline of the Short-eared Owl, another ground-nesting owl.

Current status: what we know and what we don't

We found no published evidence of a modern breeding population in Puerto Rico. The DRNA's 2015 release describes the Barn Owl as the island's third owl species, alongside the Puerto Rican Owl and Short-eared Owl, without mentioning the Burrowing Owl. The federal list of protected migratory birds does include it, because that list covers the species across the United States and its territories, not because it lives here.

Our catalog marks it as accidental because it appears on regional checklists, and we keep that label with caution. Since the Burrowing Owl still lives on Hispaniola and in the Bahamas, a wandering individual is not impossible, but it would be an extraordinary find that needs clear photos and expert review.

Saw an owl on the ground? Rule these out first

In Puerto Rico, a small owl seen low is almost always a Puerto Rican Owl: it is the same length as a Burrowing Owl (20–25 cm), also has bare legs, and by day roosts hidden in thick clumps of leaves. The difference is shape: the Puerto Rican Owl is compact, brown or rufous, round-headed, and lives among trees; the Burrowing Owl is very long-legged with barred underparts, and walks or runs across open ground.

A large, buffy owl flushed from grassland is probably a Short-eared Owl (41 cm), which nests on the ground and flies low at dawn and dusk. A pale owl with a white, heart-shaped face is a Barn Owl. If after ruling out those three you still think it is a Burrowing Owl, photograph the whole bird, its legs, and the site, and report it.

How to report a possible Burrowing Owl

Document first: photos or video from a distance, date, time, exact location, terrain, and behavior. Do not approach a burrow or try to pull the bird out; the Burrowing Owl is protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and Puerto Rico's wildlife law prohibits disturbing nests, eggs, or young without authorization.

Then submit the record to eBird with photos and let the Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña know, since it maintains the island's bird list. If the bird looks injured, follow the injured-bird guide and call the DRNA. A well-documented record is the only way to change what we know about this species in Puerto Rico.

Are there Burrowing Owls in Puerto Rico?

No current population is known. The species is known from Pleistocene fossils on Puerto Rico and Mona, and the DRNA does not include it among the island's three living owls. A sighting would be exceptional and should be documented with photos.

What is a burrowing owl?

It is Athene cunicularia, a small, long-legged owl of open grasslands that nests in burrows, usually dug by other animals. It is active by day, especially when breeding, and ranges from western North America and Florida to South America and parts of the Caribbean.

Why did the Burrowing Owl disappear from the West Indies?

According to Pregill and Olson (1981), the main cause was the loss of dry, open habitat since the end of the Pleistocene, when the climate became wetter. Historical populations on Antigua, Nevis, and Marie-Galante later went extinct, presumably because of introduced predators.

Is the Múcaro de Madriguera the same bird as the Burrowing Owl?

Yes. Múcaro de madriguera, mochuelo de madriguera, búho de madriguera, and lechuza de madriguera are Spanish names for the same species, Athene cunicularia. Our catalog lists it as Múcaro de Madriguera.

What small owl might I see on the ground in Puerto Rico?

Almost always the Puerto Rican Owl, the island's common small owl. It is compact, brown or rufous, and round-headed. If it is injured or in danger, call the DRNA instead of taking it home.