# @centerforbiodiv on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/C-LraErS-xH
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/21993506-centerforbiodiv-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/d3756d8ee7.jpg
- **Posted:** 2024-08-02T21:28:52.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Center for Biological Diversity (@CenterForBioDiv) — https://gondola.cc/CenterForBioDiv

## Caption

Burrowing owls are — and we say this with all the love in the world — utter goofballs. Case in point: For a perch, they choose the ground (instead of, say, a tree). For a nest, they choose a hole in the ground (instead of, say, a tree). When disturbed, they often flatten themselves to the earth (instead of, say, flying away, with the wings). They buck owl tradition by choosing to hunt during the day instead of the night.

You have to admire a species that so stubbornly marches to the beat of its own drum. Plus, they are mind-meltingly cute. Oh, and did you know that to ward off predators, they hiss in a way that mimics the sound of a rattlesnake?

Unfortunately, people have not taken good care of burrowing owls despite their unique charms. Due to human activity, these wee birds, which were once widespread in California, have disappeared from much of the state. But there’s some good news: This week, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife found that protecting the western burrowing owl under the California Endangered Species Act may be warranted. That means burrowing owls in California just used their goofy legs (which are proportionately very long compared to their bodies) to take a big step toward gaining the legal protection they need for a fighting chance of survival.
 
Here at the Center, we love burrowing owls. And we’ll keep doing everything we can to save these tiny goofballs from extinction. #burrowingowl #endangeredspecies #stopextinction #owl
 
Video by Dan Streiffert/Flickr.

## Stats

- **Views:** 956
- **Likes:** 504
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 19

## Tags

owl, stopextinction, burrowingowl, endangeredspecies

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