{"id":26703,"date":"2015-07-14T05:43:25","date_gmt":"2015-07-14T11:43:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=26703"},"modified":"2025-04-06T13:45:56","modified_gmt":"2025-04-06T18:45:56","slug":"juvenile-burrowing-owls-do-change-their-spots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/07\/14\/juvenile-burrowing-owls-do-change-their-spots\/","title":{"rendered":"Juvenile Burrowing Owls Do Change Their Spots"},"content":{"rendered":"

Leopards don’t change their spots but juvenile Burrowing Owls do change their spots on their chests as they mature.<\/p>\n

\"YoungYoung Burrowing Owl fluttering on a fence – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/800, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited (June 22, 2015)
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

When the young Burrowing Owls first come out of the burrow their chests are a creamy buff color without markings.<\/p>\n

\"SeriousSerious looking juvie Burrowing Owl – Nikon D200, f6.3, 1\/400, ISO 250, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited (July 27, 2009)
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

As the juveniles grow older darker colored bars start to appear in their belly close to the wings. It doesn’t seem to take long for the changes to happen.<\/p>\n

\"JuvenileJuvenile Burrowing Owl perched on a gnarly fence post – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited (July 13, 2015)<\/span><\/p>\n

The darker bars are soon joined by spots of lighter colored feathers and the changes in the plumage seem to start at the sides and move towards the center of their chests.<\/p>\n

The first and third images in this post are owls I am photographing this year at the same burrow and the images were taken 21 days apart. They might even be the same owl.<\/p>\n

\"BurrowingBurrowing Owl juvenile looking up into the sky – Nikon D200, f7.1, 1\/800, ISO 250, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited (August 2, 2009)<\/span><\/p>\n

Before long the flanks are all spotted and there is only a buffy colored stripe in the center of their chests.<\/p>\n

\"ThreeThree juvenile Burrowing Owls – Nikon D200, f7.1, 1\/250, ISO 250, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited (August 21, 2009)<\/span><\/p>\n

In a few weeks time the chests of young Burrowing Owls<\/span><\/a> can go from unmarked to spotted all the way across the chest and down the belly.<\/p>\n

These images are from different years and two separate burrow locations and I used them because the juvenile Burrowing Owls I am photographing this year haven’t matured enough to show all their spots.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Burrowing Owl photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n

I don’t know if the Burrowing Owls in Florida show the same plumage changes as they mature. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Leopards don’t change their spots but juvenile Burrowing Owls do change their spots on their chests as they mature. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":142695,"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":[511,27,1148,52,1022,26],"tags":[55,4021,2663,4214,4098,4067,4071,3967,294,3902,4516,4193],"class_list":["post-26703","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-burrowing-owls","category-davis-county-utah","category-utah","tag-athene-cunicularia","tag-bird-photography","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-burrowing-owl","tag-desert","tag-immature","tag-juvenile","tag-owl","tag-owls","tag-plumage-changes","tag-western-burrowing-owl","tag-young"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/burrowing-owl-juvenile-perched-mia-mcpherson-8906.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-6WH","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":25720,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/06\/23\/a-morning-spent-at-a-burrowing-owl-burrow\/","url_meta":{"origin":26703,"position":0},"title":"Morning Spent At A Burrowing Owl Burrow","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week I posted an image of Burrowing Owl siblings that I found in northern Utah and today I am posting images of that burrow after spending yesterday morning being delighted by them once more.","rel":"","context":"In "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 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1441,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2010\/11\/23\/adult-burrowing-owls\/","url_meta":{"origin":26703,"position":1},"title":"Adult Burrowing Owls","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 23, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"I felt it was time to put the beauty of the adult Burrowing Owls in the limelight.","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":"Adult western Burrowing Owl in morning light, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-mia-mcpherson-adult-0411.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-mia-mcpherson-adult-0411.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-mia-mcpherson-adult-0411.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-mia-mcpherson-adult-0411.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5273,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/07\/02\/burrowing-owls-they-make-me-smile\/","url_meta":{"origin":26703,"position":2},"title":"Burrowing Owls – They Make Me Smile","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 2, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"When I photograph Burrowing Owls I can't resist smiling, especially when they are juveniles. Just seeing them makes me grin.","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":"Pair of juvenile Burrowing Owls just after sunrise perched on sage, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-chicks-mia-mcpherson-1813.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-chicks-mia-mcpherson-1813.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-chicks-mia-mcpherson-1813.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-chicks-mia-mcpherson-1813.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"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":26703,"position":3},"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, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-juvenile-watering-trough-mia-mcpherson-8630.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-juvenile-watering-trough-mia-mcpherson-8630.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":98321,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/12\/20\/aba-bird-of-the-year-2022-the-burrowing-owl\/","url_meta":{"origin":26703,"position":4},"title":"ABA Bird Of The Year 2022 – The Burrowing Owl!","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 20, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"It was announced yesterday that the Burrowing Owl is the 2022 ABA Bird of the Year! 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It's hard to believe that they aren't that much different in size from an American Robin.","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":"Juvenile Burrowing Owl portrait, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-juvenile-portrait-mia-mcpherson-0395.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-portrait-mia-mcpherson-0395.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/burrowing-owl-juvenile-portrait-mia-mcpherson-0395.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26703","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26703"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26703\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/142695"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26703"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26703"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}