Burrowing Owl ( Athene (Speotyto) cunicularia )

25 cm. The supercilium is white. The plumage usually shows traces of earth. The male is slightly larger than the female and the belly is lighter.
Distribution:
From Canada to Tierra del Fuego.
Habitat:
Open fields, grasslands and suburbs, sometimes in soccer fields.
Diet:
Feeds mainly on beetles, but also other arthropods. Also consumes small vertebrates.
Reproduction:
The nest is a deep hole in the ground (1,5 to 3m of depth). Although it is able of digging its own hole it generally uses the ones dug by other animals as the armadillos. The couple lines the nest with grass and dry manure. The female lays up to four eggs. The female incubates and the male takes care of the brood.
It is the best known owl in Brazil due to its diurnal habits and the proximity with man. Can be easily seen in fences, termite mounds and fields. Sometimes it keeps some animal dung in the sides of the mouth in order to catch beetles that are attracted by the smell. One individual may have more than one hole. Although it can be seen at daylight it is more active at twilight and at night. May be attacked by some tyrants. The hatchlings scare invaders away with a sound similar to the one of the rattlesnake.