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    WHM Owls

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    Maryangel Rivales
    Owls are nocturnal birds that hunt at night using specialized adaptations like silent flight, strong eyesight in low light, and acute hearing. They nest in a variety of ways depending on the species, such as in tree cavities, on the ground, or in old nests of other animals. While owls face few natural predators, their populations are declining due to habitat loss and illegal shooting. Providing wild areas and installing nest boxes can help owl species survive.

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    WHM Owls

    Uploaded by

    Maryangel Rivales
    40 views3 pages
    Owls are nocturnal birds that hunt at night using specialized adaptations like silent flight, strong eyesight in low light, and acute hearing. They nest in a variety of ways depending on the species, such as in tree cavities, on the ground, or in old nests of other animals. While owls face few natural predators, their populations are declining due to habitat loss and illegal shooting. Providing wild areas and installing nest boxes can help owl species survive.

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    Learn about owls

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    WHM-Owls

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    Owls are nocturnal birds that hunt at night using specialized adaptations like silent flight, strong eyesight in low light, and acute hearing. They nest in a variety of ways depending on the species, such as in tree cavities, on the ground, or in old nests of other animals. While owls face few natural predators, their populations are declining due to habitat loss and illegal shooting. Providing wild areas and installing nest boxes can help owl species survive.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    40 views3 pages

    WHM Owls

    Uploaded by

    Maryangel Rivales
    Owls are nocturnal birds that hunt at night using specialized adaptations like silent flight, strong eyesight in low light, and acute hearing. They nest in a variety of ways depending on the species, such as in tree cavities, on the ground, or in old nests of other animals. While owls face few natural predators, their populations are declining due to habitat loss and illegal shooting. Providing wild areas and installing nest boxes can help owl species survive.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
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    Owls

    Like most wildlife in their natural habitats, owls are not likely to be seen often.
    Nocturnal and often solitary, they are usually shy of humans and avoid them
    when possible. Specialized wing feathers allow them to fly silently, enabling them
    to catch prey easier and avoid detection.

    Owl Natural History


    With strong eyesight (100 times more effective in dim light than humans), owls
    are specifically adapted to hunting at night or in low levels of light. Their eyes are
    immovably fixed in the front of the head and, as a result, they must move their
    heads in a 270 degree arc to see from side to side. (It is not true that owls can
    turn their heads completely around!) Owls can hear sounds 10 times fainter than
    a human can. Their soft, silent feathers enable them to swoop down undetected
    onto prey. They have a reversed outer toe, which helps to grasp prey. The Great Horned Owl is among
    our most common and well
    Habitat recognized owls.

    Owls live in a variety of habitats, including coniferous forests, mountains, deserts,


    and plains. The snowy owl lives in the cold tundra of the north.

    Nesting Habits
    Owls nest in a variety of ways. Several species, such as great gray and great horned owls, live in old hawk or
    squirrel nests. Others, including the snowy owl and short-eared owl, nest on the ground. The burrowing owl
    lives in old mammal burrows. Many owls nest in tree cavities.

    Diet
    An owl’s diet consists of rabbits, rodents, reptiles, insects, and even
    other birds. Large owls have been documented to eat skunks,
    opossums, and large ducks. While some believe that owls injure
    poultry, this is really not common, and the benefits of keeping a
    rodent population in check are great.

    Conservation
    Lacking natural predators, the only real dangers owls face are the
    influences of human activity. Even though owls are protected
    throughout the United States, many species are declining due to
    habitat loss and illegal shooting.

    Barred Owls can sometimes be heard hooting By providing wild areas such as fields and forests where owls can
    on summer days. find food and shelter, you can help them to survive. Nest boxes can
    also be installed on your property to provide them with additional
    nesting and roosting locations.

    To download this fact sheet and more, visit: www.auduboninternational.org


    Owl Nest Boxes
    There are five species of cavity nesting owls which may be enticed
    to use nest boxes. These are the barred owl, Eastern and Western
    screech owls, Northern saw-whet owl, and the barn owl. Due to the
    fact that these owls feed largely on what are considered pest
    species, they can be very beneficial to attract to your property.

    The enjoyment of a family of owls is a lengthy experience because


    owls begin nesting by February in northern states and as early as
    late December in the south. The owlets are slow to develop, and
    the two or three owlets that hatch are usually in the nest for up to
    six weeks. They may be as old as nine or ten weeks before they
    are ready to fly and leave the site.
    Eastern Screech Owl

    Screech owl boxes can be placed in or at the edge of woodlands or in settings such as parks or golf courses.
    Saw-whet owls prefer deep woods near swamps. Boxes for these species should be placed 5 to 20 feet up
    on a tree, post, or building. Since these owls may eat small birds, you may not want to place them near other
    bird boxes.

    Barn owls prefer open farmland, where a nest box should be placed 10- 20 feet up on a tree, barn, or shed.
    Finally, barred owl boxes should be placed in woods or swamps in suburban or rural areas, 10-20 feet up on
    a tree.

    Evidence of Owls in Your Area


    Owls eat their prey whole; flesh, feathers, hair, and bone are all
    ingested. The flesh is digested, and the remaining body parts and hair
    are formed into pellets in the owl’s body and regurgitated. These
    pellets may be found at the base of trees. Finding these is good
    evidence of owls in your area. Also, gently pulling apart these pellets
    will give evidence of the smaller mammals and insects that are
    present.

    Another way to determine if owls are using your property is to use a


    tape recording of owl calls for owls most likely to found in your area.
    This is sometimes called an owl prowl. Play these tapes in early spring, Regurgitated owl pellet

    summer, or fall on a calm night. Owls usually call to communicate with


    other owls and will often respond to taped calls.

    Owl Nest Boxes

    Species Box Height Inside Entrance hole Entrance hole Box Placement

    Barn owl 16 inches 16 x 22 inches 6-8 inches 4 inches above floor Open farmland, 10-20 feet up on a tree, barn,
    of box or shed

    Barred owl 22-28 inches 14 x 14 inches 6-8 inches 14-18 inches above In woods or swamps, 10-20 feet up on a tree
    floor of box

    Saw-whet and 16 inches 7.75 x 9.25 inches 3 inches 11.5 inches above Saw-whet- Deep woods near swamps, 5-20 feet
    Screech owls floor of box up on a tree, post, or building
    (see plans on
    next page) Screech- Edge of woods or in parks, 5-20 feet

    To download this fact sheet and more, visit: www.auduboninternational.org


    To download this fact sheet and more, visit: www.auduboninternational.org

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