OWL'S
Have you ever heard that an owl can turn its head completely around? Or that owls are blind in daylight? Or that the feather tufts on an owl's head are its ears? Or that if you hear an owl it means bad luck? These are all misconceptions that have been passed down through generations.
Let's set the record straight:
Owls can rotate their heads three-quarters of the way around. They cannot move their eyes
from side to side but have extremely flexible necks and can move their heads rather
quickly - thus the illusion of a complete turn.
Owls see perfectly well during the day, and exceptionally well at night.
Owls have the best hearing of all birds. Their ears are located on the sides of their
heads and are hidden by feathers. The so-called "ear-tufts" on the top of the
head aid in camouflage and recognition between individuals and have nothing to do with
hearing.
If you hear an owl calling, consider yourself fortunate.... even more fortunate to observe
one in the wild.
Owls are predators - they catch, kill and eat other animals in order to survive. This
predation is neither cruel nor wasteful and has been going on for millions of years. It
seldom upsets anything except perhaps a few people. An owl killing and eating another
animal is no different from a robin eating a worm or a gull eating a fish.
Although some owl species are diurnal (active by day), most owls hunt at night and are
seldom observed by humans. Because of this nocturnal (nighttime) existence, they are
little known and often misunderstood, even though some owls live their entire lives in
close proximity to people.
Hunting at night, owls use their extraordinary vision and excellent hearing to locate
their prey. Special adaptations such as wide wings, lightweight bodies and unusually soft,
fluffy feathers allow them to fly silently. Owls seize their prey, usually a rodent or
other small mammal, and kill it with their powerful feet. If the prey is small enough, it
is swallowed whole; otherwise the food is torn apart by the owl's strong, hooked beak.
The owl's digestive system assimilates the nutritious portions of the prey; the undigested
parts, such as hair, bones, claws, teeth, etc., are regurgitated in the form of pellets.
These pellets, found at roosting sites, can be examined to determine the owl's diet.
There are eighteen species of owls in North America. Some species, like the Screech Owl
and the Great Horned Owl, live in one place year round; others, like the Saw-whet Owl and
the Short-Eared Owl and the Burrowing Owl will travel long distances.
All owls are protected by state and federal regulations. It is illegal to capture or kill
an owl; it is also illegal to possess an owl, living or dead, without the proper permits
from local state governments, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Owls pose no threat to humans, although adult birds will defend their territory and their
young against any intruders, human or otherwise. Unfortunately, superstitions and the
untruths about owls will persist which have subjected this group of birds to unwarranted
suspicion and persecution. We hope, with the knowledge and understanding of the owl's true
character, these fears and misgivings will be replaced by tolerance and respect for these
unique birds.
A medium sized owl, unlike all others in North
America, the Barn Owl has a white heart-shaped facial disc. Its small dark eyes are inside
of this heart-shaped region, and the outside is ringed with dark feathers. This raptor
does not have any ear tufts. Its slender body is covered on the back and wings by golden
colored feathers flecked with gray. The undersides of its wings are white for the male and
pale buff colored with more flecks of gray for the female. The Barn Owl stands on long
knock-kneed legs. Along the inner edge on the central talon of each foot this raptor has a
comb-like serration. It is suspected that this serration is used for feather grooming. The
Barn Owl is the most nocturnal of all the owls, and its heart-shaped face, pale plumage,
and nightmarish screams have frightened many a person over the centuries. The Barn Owl is
not a hooting owl. Its calls range from a rasping hissss to a hair-raising scream. Its
hissss sounds like a whistling tea kettle, and its scream is a shrill kiiissh or even an
eerie snore. Because the life expectancy of the Barn Owl is so short (the average life
span is 2 years or less) its reproductive rate is much higher than that of other raptors.
Therefore, it lays anywhere from 3 to 11 round white eggs. The number of eggs depends on
the abundance of prey. When there is a lot of prey then there are more eggs. In fact,
because the Barn Owl has such a short life span, it will commonly raise two broods in the
same year. In this way the owl population can be maintained. The Barn Owl does not make
its own nest. It uses high cavities that are secluded niches found in barns, silos, church
steeples, abandoned buildings, and hollow trees. This raptor typically hunts rodents in
the open from a nearby perch. Because of this, the Barn Owl likes farmlands, meadows, and
fields where there are hedgerows, woodland groves, or other hunting perches. A truly
cosmopolitan bird, the Barn Owl is found on every continent except Antarctica. It doesn't
like extreme cold, so it avoids mountainous places. In the United States this owl can
typically be found in the Southern states. However, due to the changes in how land is
used, especially in the Midwest, this raptor is listed as a threatened or endangered
species in many states. Small mammals, especially field mice and meadow voles, make up 95%
of the Barn Owl's diet. By eating mice and voles, this owl can actually increase the
amount of grain that can be sold. In this way, the Barn Owl has greatly helped farmers. In
fact this raptor has earned respect from both informed farmers and biologists. When
hunting, this owl relies on its excellent hearing. The raptor's hearing is so good it can
hunt in complete darkness! When disturbed or threatened near their nest, both the adult
Barn Owls and their nestlings will perform a defensive dance. During this dance the owls
will spread their wings out, sway their heads back and forth over their toes (called,
"toe-dusting"), and emit loud screeching hisses. Top
A common raptor in the Eastern forests,
the Barred Owl is more vocal and somewhat smaller than its cousin the Great Horned Owl.
This bird of prey is gray-brown above with bright white spotting. On its underside, it has
gray and white "barring" that occurs where the throat and breast meet. This
horizontal barring makes the Barred Owl look like it is wearing a white collar. Its chest
has vertical streaks and some barring. The head of this owl is round and tuftless.
Surrounding its large moist brown eyes are light brown feathers. Its beak is a dull
yellow. The overall impression of the Barred Owl is soft and vulnerable especially when
compared to the fierce looking Great Horned Owl. However, the Barred Owl may look shy, but
it is a skilled predator. The Barred Owl is a highly vocal owl. Indeed it is so loud and
noisy that it can be quite easy to find. Its standard call is a ringing accented series of
hoots. Some people believe that the hooting of this owl sounds like someone slowly saying,
"who-cooks-for-you, who-cooks-for-you-a-a-a-alllll." This raptor makes many
other vocalizations which range from a short yelp or bark to a frenzied and raucous
monkey-like squall that can make the hair on the back of one's neck stand on end. This owl
lays 2 to 3 white colored eggs. These eggs are laid either in a tree cavity or in the
unclaimed nest of another large bird. One of the most common nests that this raptor uses
is that of the Red-shouldered Hawk. It uses this hawk's nest because it is large and
because they both share the same habitat. The Barred Owl prefers deep moist forests,
wooded swamps, and woodlands near waterways. This raptor has been seen in the eastern half
of the United States extending west through Southern Canada. It is also found in the West
throughout Washington and Oregon, but in these states it competes for habitat with its
close relative the Spotted Owl.
The Barred Owl is mostly a nocturnal hunter. It preys on small mammals, reptiles,
amphibians, crayfish, and some small birds. In fact, this raptor has been known to attack
and eat other smaller owls! A very opportunistic hunter, the Barred Owl can sometimes be
seen hunting before dark. This typically occurs during the nesting season or on dark and
cloudy days. Top
Only occasionally seen, the Eastern Screech Owl is often mistaken for a baby Great Horned
Owl. This owl is so small that it rarely exceeds eight inches in height – from the
tips of its ear tufts down to its tail. Its diminutive size and camouflage coloring makes
it nearly impossible to see when perched high in the tree tops. Indeed this owl's plumage
ranges from rusty red to mottled gray, and it blends in perfectly with the bark of many
trees. The Eastern Screech Owl's eyes and beak are as yellow and dark as the Great Horned
Owl's. This raptor makes a descending-quavering whistle or "whinny."
Occasionally it will also hoot a persistent but soft single pitched sound like whoot or
boot. The Eastern Screech Owl lays 4 to 5 white eggs, and it has the same nesting
preferences as the American Kestrel. It doesn't make a nest of its own, but it inhabits
old woodpecker cavities and niches in buildings. This raptor likes a variety of places
from deep forests to suburban backyards. It prefers secluded places where there are large
trees for nesting. This owl can be found throughout the Eastern United States with the
exception of boreal forests. Another species of Screech Owl is found in the Western Unites
States. This Western Screech Owl tends to be gray in coloration, and its call is slightly
different from the Eastern owl's. A truly nocturnal owl, the Eastern Screech Owl hunts
small prey. In fact, it hunts the same kind of prey as the American Kestrel. Its diet
consists of large evening-active insects such as moths and katydids, amphibians, reptiles,
small mammals like mice and tiny bats, small birds, and even some small invertebrates such
as worms. Despite its small size, the Eastern Screech Owl is as fierce as its larger
cousins. In fact, this owl is even more aggressive near its nest than other larger
raptors. Its fierce and aggressive behavior is probably due to the heavy predation of its
eggs by mammals such as raccoons. However, unsuspecting humans have also been warned away
from this owl's nest by its threatening dives and cries. Top
The Great Gray Owl is the largest owl in North America. It has been known to be over 33
inches (84 cm) long from its head to its tail. This massive owl has a large round head
with an enormous pale facial disc. Surrounding its yellow eyes are concentric circles. Its
beak is light, and it has a black chin spot just above two white feathered mustaches. It
lacks ear tufts. This owl's head and back are mottled gray with brown. Underneath, it is
barred dusky gray.
Having a very deep call, the Great Gray Owl makes an irregular series of booming whooos
each one lower in pitch. Its call sometimes sounds like whooo, hoo, hoo. Occasionally this
owl also makes a single deep whoo. This raptor lays 2 to 5 white eggs in an abandoned
nest. It will usually use a hawk's or crow's nest, and it prefers to be at the top of a
tall pine tree or on a cliff side. The Great Gray Owl is a Northern raptor found in the
taigas, but it does not usually go as far north as the Hawk Owl. This large raptor lives
in the bogs and forests of Canada.
This owl has commonly been seen from Alaska to Ontario Canada. It has also been found from
British Columbia to the Western United States, but this raptor stays at high elevations in
the Sierra Nevada and Rocky mountain ranges. The Great Gray Owl likes the cold and
therefore stays in the far North or at high elevations. Typically hunting during late
afternoon, the Great Gray Owl searches alpine meadows, conifer forests, and bogs for prey.
It hunts a variety of animals from mammals to avians. Like most northern owls the Great
Gray has a remarkably small body surrounded by a deep mass of feathers. In fact, it is
these feathers that provide the owl with insulation and protects the owl from the harsh
cold. This raptor, like the Hawk Owl, is well suited for its rugged frigid environment. Top
The Great Horned Owl is a large owl
named primarily for the tufts of feathers on its head. These tufts give the owl a fierce
"horned" appearance. In size, this owl is similar to both the Barred Owl and
Great Gray Owl. However, unlike these other owls, the Great Horned Owl is best identified
by its horned feather tufts, large yellow eyes, and dark beak. Its plumage is also fine
example of effective camouflage. This raptor's back is a mottled arrangement of sooty
browns with white and black. Upon its brown chest is a conspicuous white "bib"
also called a "gular" or "throat patch." This gular is typically hard
to see because it is often hidden by the Great Horned Owl's lower "chin." One of
the best known sounds of the night, the Great Horned Owl gives a series of six or seven
low, resonant hoots: whoo, who-who-who, whoo whoo. The hooting of the male owl is deep
while the sound of the female is at a higher pitch. This owl lays from 2 to 3 white eggs.
These eggs are laid in an abandoned nest of either a hawk or another large bird.
Occasionally, the Great Horned Owl will nest in the hollows of broken tree branches,
caves, or cliff outcroppings. Recorded as one of the first species of bird to begin to
breed, this owl's courtship begins in early January. Early breeding gives it an advantage
over other birds because it allows the Great Horned Owl to take over another bird's nest.
No other North American owl lives in as wide a variety of habitats as the Great Horned
Owl. It lives from the mountains all the way into the deserts. This raptor prefers to hunt
on the edge of open areas, forests, wooded lots, and even near suburban tree stands.
These owls are common throughout North America. However, they are not found in the
treeless tundra of Northern Canada. Great Horned Owls are as varied in their prey as they
are in their habitats. Their diets may include almost any creature: be it flying, walking,
or crawling. They will grab small prey just big enough to be caught and large prey just
small enough to be carried. These owls are quite strong, and they have been known to carry
small raccoons and even skunks (most birds do not have a well-developed sense of smell)!
Great Horned Owls are crepuscular in their habits – which means that they hunt most
actively at dawn and dusk. These owls typically hunt from the vantage point of a high
perch, and they prefer a tall post or tree at the edge of a field to listen for their
prey. Top
This owl is medium sized. It has a long tail and short wings. In flight it is fast and looks much like a hawk; therefore, it has been named the "Hawk Owl." This raptor has brown above with white blotches and dots. Below it has broad white cross-barring. On its tail are narrow light colored bars. The Hawk Owl has well defined dark facial feathers. These dark feathers are located on its chin, eyebrows through the ear region, and on the side of its breast. Its eyes are yellow. Juveniles have yellow eyes, too. However, they lack most of the white cross-barring of the adult and look much plainer. This raptor makes a variety of cries. One is hawk-like and sounds like ki, ki, ki, ki. Another of its cries sounds like a kestrel's: illy, illy, illy, illy. The Hawk Owl will also make a harsh piercing scream. Hawk Owls lay 3 to 7 white colored eggs. They do not build a nest of their own, so they use a stump, snag, or another bird's nest. This owl lives in the Northern Hemisphere. It prefers both boreal and tundra forests. The Hawk Owl has been found in open conifer forests, tamarack bogs, and sparse scrub. In North America it will typically live in northern bogs called "muskegs." The Hawk Owl likes the cold, and it has been seen from Alaska and Northern British Columbia all the way to Newfoundland. On the other side of the world this owl ranges from Norway to Siberia. During extremely cold winters, this raptor can be seen in the Northern United States. However, it does not travel very far south, and it will return to colder climes during the summer. Because this bird of prey lives in the far North it is diurnal. In other words, the Hawk Owl hunts during the day. Why? In the Northern Hemisphere, way up by Alaska, the sun seldom sets during the summer. So for half of the year the sun is out for almost 24 hours a day, and for the other half of the year the sun does not come out at all. Therefore, the Hawk Owl has adapted to feed during the day and night. In the summer this raptor primarily eats mice and lemmings. However during the winter, when rodent runways are deep beneath the snow, the Hawk Owl takes birds like grouse. These owls are extremely tame, and a person can walk right up to them. This is because Hawk Owls rarely see humans and therefore don't feel threatened. Top
The Long-eared Owl is a medium sized
owl that looks somewhat like a smaller-elongated version of the Great Horned Owl. It has
long "ear" tufts that are close together. This owl has yellow eyes and a dark
beak within a tawny colored facial disc. Its plumage is a mix of brown, buff, and black.
The Long-eared Owl has vertical streaking on its chest, unlike the horizontal barring seen
on the Great Horned Owl. This owl also lacks the white "gular" or "throat
patch" of its larger cousin, and it looks larger in flight because of its longer
wings. Usually a very quiet owl, it calls with a pair of faint dove-like hoots repeated at
intervals. In the nest, the female will give a nasal bleating note. This raptor lays 4 to
7 white colored eggs in an abandoned nest of another large bird. Being a very secretive
raptor, the Long-eared Owl roosts and breeds in dense forest cover. It is well camouflaged
and therefore seldom seen. It prefers heavily wooded areas, like groves of conifers and
deciduous trees, near open country.
The Long-eared Owl has been found from Southern Canada to the mid-section of the United
States. It winters in the Southern portion of its breeding range, and it has traveled as
far south as Mexico. This raptor is more common in the West than in the East. Being mostly
nocturnal, this owl preys heavily on rodents and the occasional small bird. It hunts much
like the Short-eared Owl and Harrier Hawk, for it flies through an open field making slow
swoops until it spots its prey. It then climbs into the air, stalls, and drops onto its
victim. Long-eared Owls defend their nests fiercely and, when screaming-dive-bombing
attacks don't work, they will lure away the intruder by putting on a convincing broken
wing act. Top
A secretive owl, slightly smaller than the Eastern Screech Owl, the Saw-whet Owl is rusty
brown with large white spots above and reddish streaks below. Its head and crown are dark,
and it lacks "ear" tufts. A distinguishing feature of this owl is a light white
"V" shaped streak that comes down from its "eyebrows" to its dark
beak. The Saw-whet Owl has yellow eyes. A juvenile's eyes are also yellow, but its plumage
is chocolate brown above and solid chestnut below with very prominent white eyebrows. The
coloring of both the male and female Saw-whet is the same. Its unique song is an endless
series of low monotone whistled notes with an occasional up slurred-rasping whistle. This
owl's name comes from its unusual call. The Saw-whet Owl makes a call that is said to be
just like the sound made by a saw when the teeth of the saw are sharpened. Today only a
few people know what sharpening a saw sounds like, but in the past many people could
identify it. This raptor lays 4 to 6 white eggs. It prefers to lay its eggs in a
coniferous tree cavity or within a nesting box. The Saw-whet Owl can be found in
coniferous forests. It can also be seen in deciduous woods where there are some coniferous
trees. Fairly common in North America, this owl can be found in the northeastern wooded
mountain ranges of the Western United States. It also lives in Southern Canada. In the
winter it flies south to warmer plains and woodlands. The Saw-whet Owl is a nocturnal
hunter of small mammals, birds, and insects. It prefers to hunt from a perch in dense
woods. Because of its preference for dark dense woods, this owl can be hard to find.
However, its unique call with its saw-sharpening sound can give this owl's location away!
The keen observer may have noticed that this owl's name consists of the words
"saw" and "whet." Many dictionaries describe a "saw" as a
sharp-edged tool and "whet" as the act of sharpening by rubbing with a hard
substance (like a whetstone). As previously described, this owl's name
"saw-whet" comes from its unusual call that sounds like the sharpening of a saw
with a whetstone. Top
The Short-eared Owl is a medium sized raptor, and
its "ear" tufts are very small. The tufts are so small that they are entirely
indistinguishable at a range of more than a few feet or when the owl dons a rounded
"alert" face. Compared to other owls, these tufts are placed much closer to the
Short-eared Owl's head. However like many other owls this raptor is well hidden in the
forest. It has a mottled tawny coloring above and streaked underparts. Surrounding the
Short-eared Owl's bright yellow eyes are dark feathers that look like rims. This owl has a
very round facial disc highlighted with white "eyebrows." In flight this raptor
has dark carpal patches, and it flies like a moth with fluttering wing beats broken by
long sweeping glides. It usually flies low over a field or marsh as it looks for prey.
This raptor's primary call is a strange sharp bark sounding like keee-yow. At other times
it makes more of a rasping bark.
The Short-eared Owl typically lays between 5 to 7 creamy white colored eggs. It roosts and
nests on the ground in a depression among heavy grass and weeds. It prefers to remain
hidden within tall vegetation. This raptor lives in marshes, prairies, and in the tundra.
It can also be found in open country where tall grasses meet the thickets or forests. This
owl is cosmopolitan, and it lives on nearly every continent except Australia. The
Short-eared Owl can be seen throughout North America. However its distribution is spotty
and very limited due to its habitat preference. Because it prefers open country, this
raptor is most common in the West and Midwest. It is uncommon in the East. During the
winter a Northern Short-eared Owl retreats to the Southern part of its range to escape the
cold. A crepuscular hunter, the Short-eared Owl preys on small mammals, some birds, and a
few insects. This stealthy bird of prey usually starts hunting long before sunset. It
makes long sweeping patrols over the grasslands, or it watches for prey from a perch. Top