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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 3 of 3

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A pleasant 'screeching'

Eastern and western screech owls prefer to live in forests, but they'll happily make a home in a woodpecker hole or a nest box you've put up in your backyard. These owls – weighing less than a pound and standing only eight or nine inches tall – hunt small rodents and insects, as well as salamanders, crayfish, and snails.

The screech owl's name is deceptive. Rather than a screech, this bird's song sounds like a bouncing ping-pong ball. The call lasts about three seconds and sometimes contains as many as 35 notes.

Brent Harrison, who directs kids' sports camps at the University of Oregon, looked up one night in his suburban backyard and saw two screech owls looking back at him. "It sent shivers down my spine," he says.

While screech owls have a pleasant voice, barn owls are the real screamers. These white and brown birds, a foot tall with an almost four-foot wingspan, are found almost everywhere in the world. They're distinctive because of the heart-shaped feathered disc around their faces and for their ear-piercing shrieks.

Barn owls eat 1-1/2 times their own weight every day. Like other raptors – that is, birds of prey – barn owls are extremely helpful. Without them, our houses, barns, and yards would be overrun with rodents.

You'll know a barn owl the minute you see it gliding across a field in search of dinner. Its white wings almost glow in the dark, and its scream is unforgettable.

You can attract these beautiful birds by building and putting up a nest box. Often, a pair of barn owls will take up residency and become your neighbors for years!

Did you know that there are hundreds of species of owls? Different types live in different parts of the world. The smallest, called an elf owl, lives in saguaro cacti in the southwestern United States. One of the largest, a snowy owl, loves the cold plains of northern Canada.

Some owls are easier to spot than others, says Mr. Gordon. "Some are diurnal," he explains, "which means they're awake during the day." Snowy owls, burrowing owls, and pygmy owls perch in broad daylight.

Once, he had the opportunity to help a baby owl. "I found it on the road," he says, "and I didn't want a car to hit it, so I got a dishrag and a box and put the owl back in the crotch of a tree. I looked up and its parent was on a low branch nearby. The owl was a baby, just learning to fly."

Mr. Gordon did the right thing. Baby owls on the ground are usually uninjured – they're just fledglings learning to take to the air while their parents watch. However, if you find what you believe to be an injured owl, don't pick it up. Gently place a box or a blanket over it and call your local wildlife rehabilitation center. Trained volunteers will be happy to help.

The famous nature writer Henry David Thoreau once wrote, "I rejoice that there are owls." The night you discover your first owl in the wild, you'll rejoice, too!

Those interested in owls will enjoy a look at a raptor center at which Ms. Hart volunteers (see story).

 

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