Usually, the ground is the least likely place to spot a bird. But that's exactly where burrowing owls makes their homes. They are one of the smallest owl species, and live in abandoned prairie dog burrows. Because burrowing owls eat insects and small rodents such as mice, prairie dogs love to have them as neighbors. In fact, burrowing owls depend on prairie dogs to maintain their burrows. Research has discovered an interesting balance in the relationship between the two; frequently, where prairie dog towns have been abandoned due to development, poison or predation, the owls are gone too. Naturally, the best place to look for these curious birds is anywhere a colony of prairie dogs have settled in.