Spotted Owlet peeking from hollow tree stump

Picture an owl in a tree—is this not quite what you had in mind? Well, our peeking pal here is a bit eccentric in the wide, wise world of owls. Unlike their nocturnal cousins, burrowing owls are often active in broad daylight, spending most of their time on the ground and preferring cozy hidey holes to high perches in the forest canopy. Though not built to do their own burrowing, these owls are great recyclers, happy to nest in abandoned prairie dog and badger burrows, hollowed-out stumps and logs, and other makeshift lairs.