Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), Scotts Bluff National Monument, 2015.

Found throughout North and South America, you'll find these long-legged burrowers in almost any open dry landscape with low vegetation. Its specialized long legs, clearly depicted in this photo, allow the owl to sprint or fly in its preferred habitat. In North America, human colonization is restricting the burrowing owl's distribution while deforestation in South America is helping to expand its range there.