{"id":26505,"date":"2015-07-11T06:09:55","date_gmt":"2015-07-11T12:09:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=26505"},"modified":"2025-10-13T15:51:35","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T20:51:35","slug":"burrowing-owls-and-american-robins-nearly-the-same-size-but-two-very-different-birds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/07\/11\/burrowing-owls-and-american-robins-nearly-the-same-size-but-two-very-different-birds\/","title":{"rendered":"Burrowing Owls And American Robins – Nearly The Same Size But Two Very Different Birds"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"YoungYoung Burrowing Owl perched on a barbed wire fence – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/800, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Burrowing Owls and American Robins are about the same size but they are two very different species of birds. Think of a can of soda and that is about how big they are. I have mentioned before in my posts that they are about the same size but I’d never posted images of both species together before and thought it was about time I did for comparison’s sake.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Robin in a conifer – Nikon D200, f8, 1\/500, ISO 200, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1,4x TC at 400mm, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

American Robins seem to be everywhere and are easy to spot but from personal experience I can say that Burrowing Owls can be more difficult to see and locate in their habitat because they blend in so well.<\/p>\n

The Burrowing Owls just seem “larger than life” to me much of the time.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

The Burrowing Owl<\/span><\/a> was photographed in Box Elder County, Utah<\/span><\/a> this year and the American Robin<\/span><\/a> was photographed just outside of Virginia City in Madison County, Montana<\/span><\/a> in 2009.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Burrowing Owls and American Robins are about the same size but they are two very different species of birds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":146293,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[456,27,1148,52,1512,12,26],"tags":[2427,55,4430,2653,4214,4982,11956,4098,3830,5370,3967,294,4104,6642,5199,2727,3844,4881,1048,4516],"class_list":["post-26505","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-robins","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-burrowing-owls","category-madison-county-montana","category-montana","category-utah","tag-american-robin","tag-athene-cunicularia","tag-barbed-wire","tag-bird-of-prey","tag-burrowing-owl","tag-comparison","tag-conifier","tag-desert","tag-fence","tag-forest","tag-owl","tag-owls","tag-perched","tag-robin","tag-robins","tag-song-bird","tag-thrush","tag-thrushes","tag-turdus-migratorius","tag-western-burrowing-owl"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/burrowing-owl-juvenile-barbed-wire-mia-mcpherson-8660.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-6Tv","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":26957,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/07\/27\/it-is-tough-being-a-bird-photographer-when-it-comes-to-burrowing-owls\/","url_meta":{"origin":26505,"position":0},"title":"It Is Tough Being A Bird Photographer When It Comes To Burrowing Owls","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 27, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"You might wonder why I think it is tough being a bird photographer when it comes to Burrowing Owls.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Juvenile Burrowing Owl perched on a watering trough, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-juvenile-watering-trough-mia-mcpherson-8630.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-juvenile-watering-trough-mia-mcpherson-8630.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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"Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Burrowing Owl juvenile fluttering its wings, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owls-juvenile-balance-mia-mcpherson-8914.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owls-juvenile-balance-mia-mcpherson-8914.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owls-juvenile-balance-mia-mcpherson-8914.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owls-juvenile-balance-mia-mcpherson-8914.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/burrowing-owl-juvenile-calling-flight-mia-mcpherson-0655.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/burrowing-owl-juvenile-calling-flight-mia-mcpherson-0655.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/burrowing-owl-juvenile-calling-flight-mia-mcpherson-0655.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/burrowing-owl-juvenile-calling-flight-mia-mcpherson-0655.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":26026,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/07\/01\/a-bundle-of-western-burrowing-owls\/","url_meta":{"origin":26505,"position":3},"title":"Bundle of Western Burrowing Owls","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 1, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I thought I would share some images I have taken of Western Burrowing Owls that I took over several days spent with them in Box Elder County, Utah.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Young Burrowing Owl about to land on a barbed wire fence, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-flight-mia-mcpherson-8669.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-flight-mia-mcpherson-8669.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-flight-mia-mcpherson-8669.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Burrowing Owls are small, long-legged, sandy-colored, charismatic owls with bright yellow eyes.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature Burrowing Owl on a stump in soft morning light, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/burrowing-owl-immature-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-7693.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/burrowing-owl-immature-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-7693.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/burrowing-owl-immature-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-7693.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/burrowing-owl-immature-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-7693.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4029,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/01\/17\/juvenile-burrowing-owl-portrait\/","url_meta":{"origin":26505,"position":5},"title":"Juvenile Burrowing Owl Portrait","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 17, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Burrowing Owls are beautiful birds with lemony yellow eyes, downy soft feathers and subtle coloration. 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