Britannica
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Which animals prey on burrowing owls?
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owl
Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus).
Burrowing owls are subject to predation by a wide variety of animals. Their natural predators include:
- Birds of prey: Such as falcons, hawks, and other raptors.1
- Mammals: Including weasels, badgers, and both wild and domesticated canines and felines.1
To protect themselves, burrowing owl nestlings have evolved a unique defensive behavior: when threatened, they emit a vocalization that mimics the warning buzz of a rattlesnake, a common inhabitant of the rodent burrows where these owls reside.2