Frodo

Frodo is a Burrowing Owl. He stands about 11" tall and weighs just over 7 ounces.

Burrowing owls are generally active at dusk and dawn, but sometimes at night also. They are highly terrestrial, and are often seen perched on a mound of dirt, telegraph or fence post - frequently on one foot. They bob up and down when excited. Flight is with irregular, jerky wingbeats and they will frequently make long glides, interspersed with rapid wingbeats. They hover during hunting and courtship, and may flap their wings asynchronously.

Burrowing Owls feed on a wide variety of prey, changing food habits as location and time of year determine availability. Large arthropods, mainly beetles and grasshoppers, comprise a large portion of their diet. Small mammals, especially mice, rats, gophers, and ground squirrels, are also important food items. Other prey animals include reptiles and amphibians, scorpions, young cottontail rabbits, bats, and birds, such as sparrows and horned larks. These Owls are quite versatile in the ways they capture prey. They chase down grasshoppers and beetles on the ground, use their talons to catch large insects in the air, or hover in mid-air before swooping down on unsuspecting prey. They also watch from perches, then glide silently toward their target. Unlike other Owls, they also eat fruits and seeds, especially the fruit of Tesajilla and prickly pear cactus.

This image was shot at the Images of Nature Gallery where I work. Frodo is a resident of Liberty Wildlife, a Scottsdale-based non-profit organization committed to nurturing the nature of Arizona by providing quality wildlife rehabilitation, environmental education, research and conservation services.