Northern populations migrate in winter, but most live permanently in more temperate climes. The birds nest in tree holes, stumps, caves, or in the abandoned nests of other large birds. Monogamous pairs have one to five eggs two is typical , both the male and female incubate, and the male also hunts for food. Owls are powerful birds and fiercely protective parents. They have even been known to attack humans who wander too close to their young. Like other owls, these birds have an incredible digestive system.
They sometimes swallow their prey whole and later regurgitate pellets composed of bone, fur, and the other unwanted parts of their meal. Owls are efficient nighttime hunters that strike from above, and use their powerful talons to kill and carry animals several times heavier than themselves.
Owls prey on a huge variety of creatures, including raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, domestic birds, falcons, and other owls. They regularly eat skunks, and may be the only animal with such an appetite.
They sometimes hunt for smaller game by standing or walking along the ground. Owls have even been known to prey upon unlucky cats and dogs. Great horned owls are largely nocturnal so they can be difficult to spot. All rights reserved. In north in winter, may store uneaten prey, coming back later to thaw out frozen carcass by "incubating" it.
Dull whitish. Incubation mostly by female, days. Young: Both parents take part in providing food for young owls. Young may leave nest and climb on nearby branches at 5 weeks, can fly at about weeks; tended and fed by parents for up to several months. Both parents take part in providing food for young owls. Varied, mostly mammals and birds. Mammals make up majority of diet in most regions. Takes many rats, mice, and rabbits, also ground squirrels, opossums, skunks, many others.
Eats some birds especially in north , up to size of geese, ducks, hawks, and smaller owls. Also eats snakes, lizards, frogs, insects, scorpions, rarely fish. May begin nesting very early in north late winter , possibly so that young will have time to learn hunting skills before next winter begins. In courtship, male performs display flight, also feeds female. Nest: Typically uses old nest of other large bird, such as hawk, eagle, crow, heron, usually ' above ground; also may nest on cliff ledge, in cave, in broken-off tree stump, sometimes on ground.
Adds little or no nest material, aside from feathers at times. Learn more about these drawings. Beautiful and formidable predators, they inspire admiration, fear, and a sense of mystery. There are more than species of owls around the world. They are divided into two families, Tytonidae Barn Owls and Strigidae, which includes all other owl species.
Owls in both families have evolved outstanding hunting skills that allow them to catch their prey with quiet precision. With their superb hunting abilities, owls are truly fascinating. Here are some interesting facts about them that you might not know:.
Owls eat other animals, from small insects such as moths or beetles, to large birds, even as large as an Osprey. A few species of owls mostly eat fish, such as Ketupa fish-owl and Scotopelia fishing-owl species, found in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, respectively. Owls spend much of their active time hunting for food. The Snowy Owl , for example, may have to try quite a few times, but can catch three to five lemmings a day.
Like other birds, owls do not have teeth to chew their food. They use their sharp, hooked bills to tear the flesh of prey into pieces, often crushing their skulls and other bones. They can also swallow small prey whole, usually head-first. Any body parts that owls are not able to digest, such as bones and fur, are regurgitated hours later in the form of a pellet.
A Barred Owl regurgitates a pellet. Original video by Justin Hoffman. Although we typically associate them with the night, some owls are diurnal, or active during the day. Species in northern latitudes, such as Snowy Owls, must be able to hunt throughout the continuously bright days of summer. In western mountain forests, Northern Pygmy-Owls hunt small birds during the day, and although they mostly hunt at night, Burrowing Owls are often seen outside their burrows in daylight.
It is even adapted to living in urban areas and can sometimes be found in city parks or campgrounds. It tends to hunt in areas that are more open, while it roosts and nests in more forested habitats. This large owl is mottled with a multitude of colors from grey to black and brown to beige and white. It has bright yellow eyes and feathery ear tufts, which give it its name. It has large powerful feathered feet which it uses to take down prey often times much larger than itself.
The adult Great-horned Owl can be quite vocal, with a deep, but loud "hoo-hoo-hoo hoo hoo. Like many raptors, these owls are top predators — they hunt other animals for food but no animals hunt them on a regular basis. For most top predators, their only threat is humans. Top predators, such as the Great-horned Owl, play an important role in nature by helping to control populations of prey animals and maintain a balance in the ecosystems where they live.
The Great-horned Owl is mostly nocturnal, or active at night. It spends its days roosting, or resting, in a safe perch. The Great-horned Owl is not a threatened species. Its adaptability to various habitats and its varied diet give it a survival advantage. However, that doesn't mean that individual owls don't fall in harms way. Young Great-horned Owls may fall prey to predators such as foxes, coyotes, or when very young, potentially other raptors or even crows. Though they are protected by law in most countries, Great-horned Owls are still occasionally shot or poisoned by humans and many die from collisions with vehicles, buildings, barbed wire fences, windows and power lines.
The Great-horned Owl is an incredibly successful hunter. Known to take just about any small to medium-sized animals, what follows is just a partial list of what is on a Great-horned Owl's menu: rodents, skunks, moles, squirrels, porcupines, opossums, marmots, herons, loons, swans, ducks, gulls, passerines and even other raptors such as Red-tailed Hawks, Aplomado Falcons and even other owls, young alligators, frogs, toads, salamanders, snakes, centipedes, catfish, eels, worms, scorpions, crayfish and even carrion if other food is scarce.
They hunt at dusk and during the night from a perch, while flying low over the ground, walking on the ground, or even wading into water to get at their prey.
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