Concept
The burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), also called the shoco, is a small, long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or any other open, dry area with low vegetation. They nest and roost in burrows, such as those excavated by prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.). Unlike most owls, burrowing owls are often active during the day, although they tend to avoid the midday heat. Like many other kinds of owls, though, burrowing owls do most of their hunting during dusk and dawn, when they can use their night vision and hearing to their advantage. Living in open grasslands as opposed to forests, the burrowing owl has developed longer legs that enable it to sprint, as well as fly, when hunting. The burrowing owl was formally described by Spanish naturalist Juan Ignacio Molina in 1782 under the binomial name Strix cunicularia from a specimen collected in Chile. The specific epithet is from the Latin cunicularius meaning "burrower" or "miner". The burrowing owl is now placed in the genus Athene that was introduced by German zoologist Friedrich Boie in 1822. The burrowing owl is sometimes classified in the monotypic genus Speotyto based on an overall different morphology and karyotype. Osteology and DNA sequence data, though, suggest that the burrowing owl is a terrestrial member of the little owls (Athene), and it is today placed in that genus by most authorities. A considerable number of subspecies have been described, but they differ little in appearance and the taxonomy of several of them needs to be validated. Most subspecies are found in/near the Andes and in the Antilles. Although distinct from each other, the relationship of the Florida subspecies to (and its distinctness from) the Caribbean birds is not quite clear. The 18 recognised subspecies, of which two are now extinct, are: †A. c. amaura (Lawrence, 1878): Antiguan burrowing owl – formerly Antigua, Saint Kitts, and Nevis Islands, extinct (circa 1905) A. c.
