Juvenile burrowing owls responding to an intruder unwittingly entering into their underground nest. Intrusions like this regularly happen because many animal species (in addition to the owls) use tunnels and burrows made by prairie dogs or other digging mammals. These "tunnel towns" occur in dry, open landscapes. In cowboy country, these diurnal, long-legged owls are known as “howdy birds” because they nod their heads, as if in greeting, while exiting their burrows.