Burrowing Owls, Buffalo Gap National Grasslands, South Dakota.  In mid-June, mother burrowing owl and two young loiter outside their nest burrow at sunset surrounded by wildflowers on the edge of a prairie dog town. The young and their mother stay underground the first month of life until they are old enough to climb up out of the nest burrow. Burrowing owls are most often found nesting in prairie dog burrows, or sometimes badger or jackrabbit holes because they cannot dig deep burrows of their own. Such nest burrows provide critical protection and cover for the owls to raise their young.