Burrowing Owls in Cape Coral

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For years I’ve been wanting to visit Cape Coral during Burrowing Owl nesting season. Cape Coral has the largest population of breeding Burrowing Owls in Florida. I’ve enjoyed photographing Burrowing Owls in the past, both in Central Florida and at Brian Piccolo Park in southeast Florida. The attraction of Cape Coral is the large number of nests. While I’d heard that it would be easy to find owls, it surprised me just how easy. Rich and I had a fun afternoon of driving around, looking for burrows, and then photographing one nest in gorgeous golden afternoon light.

Burrowing Owl at Burrow
Burrowing Owl at Burrow

The Burrowing Owl is one of the smallest owls, and it’s the only one that nests underground. The above photo shows an adult owl just outside the burrow, which can extend 10 feet underground. All the known burrows in Cape Coral are marked with PVC pipe and little crosses. When we first drove into town, I started saying “there’s one! There’s another one! Wow, they’re all over!” Rich got to be a very good owl-spotter. Thanks, honey! :)

Burrowing Owl Family with Large Babies
Burrowing Owl Family with Large Babies

The birds begin to breed in February, and babies come out of the burrows starting in April. Before the babies hatch, the dad usually stands watch outside the burrow while Mom incubates below. The best nests to photograph are the ones with babies. There’s never a dull moment with a bunch of young ones to feed!

Burrowing Owl Parent and Chick
Burrowing Owl Parent and Chick

As the afternoon light improved, I settled down by a nest with (I thought) two babies. Many of the well-photographed burrows are now empty due to too much love from humans, so I was careful to approach quietly, sit still, use my Beast, and not stay as long as I really wanted to. :) By sitting low to the ground, you get a beautiful blurred background and wonderful portraits of these fun birds.

Burrowing Owl Babies
Burrowing Owl Babies

The babies are so cute! Their downy feathers and big eyes are great. They are such fun to watch as they come out of the burrow, stretch their legs and wings, and beg for food from their parents. They bob their heads repeatedly and move their heads in funny circles as they watch their nest area.

Burrowing Owlet
Sleepy Burrowing Owlet

The parents sit close by, watching carefully over their little family. Dad sat on a nearby cross and Mom alternated between perching above the nest and standing outside the burrow. She looked tired – raising a family takes a lot of energy!

Burrowing Owl – Tired Mommy

When I first spotted the nest, I thought there were two babies in it. Then a surprise popped out of the burrow…three babies! The two younger babies stood begging for dinner while the older baby ran around stretching his wings. He did these little hop-skip-jumps that were just adorable. Look at the pin feathers on his wings!

Burrowing Owlet Stretching His Wings
Burrowing Owlet Stretching His Wings

The little owls made raspy crying noises every time the parents moved. They clearly wanted some food. The parents ignored the begging and the babies eventually gave up and ate whatever tasty morsel Dad had left at the entrance of the burrow. I could see them nibbling, although thankfully, I couldn’t see on what!

The babies make it very clear to Mom when they are hungry…

Burrowing Owlet Begging for Food
Burrowing Owlet Begging for Food

…and if Mom doesn’t respond, the babies can be a little vicious. Look at how this baby is trying to stab Mommy in the eye! Mom just sat there and took it.

Not the Nicest Little Owlet
Not the Nicest Little Owlet

The gorgeous afternoon light got sweeter and sweeter, and the surprises weren’t over for the evening. Two more little owlets made an appearance of the burrow, bringing the total to five babies. I sat mesmerized, sometimes forgetting to hit the shutter button, as I watched the nightly routine of these birds. Somehow I managed to squeeze Mom and all 5 babies into the frame at one point…but getting everybody to look at the camera at the same time was too much to ask!

Burrowing Owl Mom and her Five Babies
Burrowing Owl Mom and her Five Babies

The smallest chick spent the least amount of time outside the burrow. He came out, walked a few steps into the nearby grass, and took a nap.

Sleepy Smallest Owlet
Sleepy Smallest Owlet

The people of Cape Coral are very proud of their owls, and as I packed up my gear, I chatted with several locals about the owlets and the nest. It was such a fun afternoon! I look forward to going back another year, maybe a week or two earlier to catch the babies when they are smaller.

Want to learn more about nature photography at Cape Coral Burrowing Owls?

Check out my Cape Coral Burrowing Owls page with more information about the location, map, website, photography tips, etc. It is archived by date so you can see my images from previous visits. Maybe you'll be inspired for your own trip!

Planning a trip to Florida? Don't miss my Central Florida Bird Photography Locations reference guide!

6 thoughts on “Burrowing Owls in Cape Coral

  1. Absolutely love the blog post … though it really makes me feel how much I miss them … and you for that matter. So glad that you were able to enjoy them. Awesome shots too. Miss you …. Debbie T

  2. Thanks for sharing these amazing photos! I’ve never seen this delightful critter before. and the babies are so cute!

  3. So many cute shots. It’s also on my list of places to go. Maybe next year we should meet up. I’ve only gotten them at Brian Piccalo park and not during nesting season.

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