© 2006 Hans Peeters ...Science Art-Birds

Title: Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)
Artist: Hans Peeters (for further information, click on the artist's name)
Image size: c. 11" x 14"
Media: watercolor and gouache
Date: 2006
Possession of artist.

The artist notes: "This owl has disappeared from several California counties where once it was plentiful.  Its numbers still seem secure in a few strongholds, but the never-ending pressure of land development removes more of the Burrowing Owl's habitat each year.  Additionally, large numbers are killed by wind turbines, such as those in the Altamont Wind Resource Area (Alameda County, CA).  Burrowing Owls are content with minimal remnants of land for nesting, provided there are burrows and other holes; however, this species does require adequate foraging areas nearby.  The painting -- used as a color plate in my book Owls of California and the West (2007, University of California Press)--illustrates the sexual dimorphism of the species; the male, for example, is larger than the female, the reverse of the usual pattern seen in owls."