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| Ten inquisitive barn owls at rest on a beam at the Facility for Animal Care and Treatment at California State University in
Bakersfield, Calif., at an open house for the public. Casey Christie/The Bakersfield Californian/AP |
Whooo are you? There's an owl in your neighborhood
Wherever they live, kids can probably spot an owl nearby.
from the August 7, 2007 edition
Page 2 of 3
Maybe you live in the country, with acres of forest around you. Or possibly you live in a suburban area with just a few trees in your backyard. Either way, you probably have owls for neighbors.
Screech owls and barn owls are cavity nesters; they view a hole in a tree as Home, Sweet Home. Larger birds, such as great horned owls, take over abandoned crow and hawk nests in tall trees.
All owls leave hints as to their location. It's up to you to look for the clues! Often, you'll spot whitish streaks on a tree trunk or on the ground beneath a high limb. These streaks are "mutes" (or bird poop), left by an owl that regards the tree as his favorite hangout.
Owls also make pellets. Anyone who's read Jane Hammerslough's kids' science book, "Owl Puke," knows that owls usually swallow their food whole.
However, they can't digest certain parts of mammals and small birds. Their stomach creates a pellet with the sharp bones of the prey on the inside and the soft fur or feathers on the outside. Soon after eating, owls cough up a pellet, which ends up on the ground. Owl pellets are about 1-1/2 inches long and grayish-white or black. If you find one, you'll know that an owl is near. (See sidebar on next page to learn how to dissect an owl pellet.)
'Tigers' in the trees
Ready to go owling? Several species of owls easily adapt to rural or suburban environments.
The first is the great horned owl. These birds are sometimes called "tigers with wings" because they're fierce hunters. They weigh between three and five pounds and stand about two feet tall, with two distinctive feathered "horns" on top of their heads.
Great horned owls may eat as many as 4,000 mice a year, and they'll chow down on squirrels, voles, frogs, skunks, and almost anything else their talons can seize!
These owls are found throughout North America – in remote wilderness, populated countrysides, and even in cities. At dusk, they cry a series of four to seven low hoots.
When you hear an owl hooting, hoot back. Stay under a tree and avoid open fields. You want to be able to see the owl before it sees you and flies away. Try not to use your flashlight too often. Let your eyes get used to the darkness and see if you can entice an owl to land near you. Owls are curious creatures; if they hear a hoot, they want to know who's talking!
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