Burrowing owl  (Athene cunicularia)

Description

The burrowing owl is a small-bodied species, with a round head lacking ear tufts, striking lemon yellow eyes and unusually long legs (2). The plumage is mostly sandy brown on the upperparts with whitish spots on the body, while the face is adorned with bold whitish eyebrows and a prominent white chin stripe (2) (3). By contrast, the underparts are buffy white with brown barring. The female normally possesses darker plumage than the male (2).

Darwin Now is the British Council's contribution to the international celebration of the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth and the 150 year anniversary of the publication of On The Origin of Species
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