In southern Florida, many burrowing owls live in vacant lots in towns, and some communities proudly adopt and protect local colonies. The best places to see burrowing owls in South Florida include Cape Coral on the Gulf Coast and the western Broward communities of Davie, Pembroke Pines, Tamarac, Coral Springs and Cooper City.
They are not difficult to spot in places like Vista View Park, Davie or Brian Piccalo Park, Hollywood as well as in some smaller parks, where their burrows in open fields are roped off for protection and to keep park patrons at a minimal distance.
They are small as owls go, with a body that is about nine inches long, but their wingspan is unusually long for the size of the bird, reaching 21 inches.
They have vivid yellow eyes and long legs, an important feature for a bird that essentially lives on or near the ground. Adults are brown and white with a white chin mark and sharp barring on the chest. Juveniles don’t have the barring and are more buff on the chest.
In Florida, March is the beginning of the owl’s primary nesting season, but it can occur as early as October and as late as May. Females lay clutches of six to eight eggs that require three to four weeks of incubation, with mom doing the sitting. The hatchlings are white at birth, with their eyes closed. They will first emerge from the burrow at two weeks, first fly at four, proficiently fly at six and leave their parents at 12 weeks.
