Angry Bird! Burrowing Owl appears annoyed as it struggles to settle down for sleep while perched on one leg

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This sleepy owl was snapped perching precariously on one leg as it ruffled its feathers before settling down to catch 40 winks.

The Burrowing Owl is shown taking a deep yawn and closing its eyes in Richmond, British Colombia, but appears to be having a less than restful time.

The Canadian bird even appears to be angry as if it's unable to fall asleep or has been awoken by something in one of the pictures, taken by professional photographer Anthony Bucci.

Mr Bucci, 39, had always wanted to see a Burrowing Owl and raced to the scene when his friend spotted the bird.

'The Burrowing Owl is an extremely rare visitor to this area. To my knowledge, only one has ever been seen here before,' he said.

'A friend of mine who is also a photographer sent me a message and told me that he had seen one.

'I got home as soon as I could and grabbed my gear and drove straight there.' 

The owls live underground in burrows they have either dug themselves or taken over from a prairie dog or ground squirrel.

They stand on one leg to maintain warmth and to regulate strain by switching from one leg to the other during their periods of rest.

Mr Bucci added: 'This was the first time I had ever seen a Burrowing Owl. I thought it was amazing to see the number of facial expressions they show.'

The owl even appears to yawn in the photos as it attempts to sleep in British Colombia while balancing on one of its legs

The owl was spotted looking irritated as though something was preventing it from sleeping in British Colombia, Canada

The owls put one leg inside their feathers to keep warm during periods of rest and alternate so as to prevent strain to one leg

The pictures taken in Richmond show the owl looking annoyed as it ruffled its feathers and tried to catch some sleep 

The owl finally manages to get some rest as it is pictured shutting its eyes in Canada as Anthony Bucci snapped his first pictures of the bird 

The bird tucks its head into its feathers as it tries to catch some sleep while standing on top of a branch on one leg

The Burrowing Owl was pictured ruffling its feathers as it attempted to get some sleep in British Colombia, Canada