- The Burrowing Owl (Athene Cunicularia) is a small, long-legged owl that lives underground in burrows in southern Arizona - Unlike most owls, they are active during the day, though they hunt most intensely at dusk and dawn -Burrowing Owls have prominent white "eyebrows" and bright yellow eyes on a rounded head with no ear tufts - Their plumage is sandy-colored with white spotting on the back and barring on the belly - They have longer legs than most other owls, which allows them to run and hop along the ground in pursuit of prey - Their habit of bobbing up and down when agitated or curious earned them the nickname "howdy birds" - When threatened inside their burrow, young owls will produce a hissing and rattling sound to mimic a rattlesnake, which helps ward off predators