The Wonderful World of Owls

It was alluded to in the lessons that several other birds cough up pellets, and I believe hawks and eagles (i.e. other birds of prey) are amongst those that do.

The nocturnal lifestyle of owls distinguishes them from many other bird species.  Because owls consume food whole, they do not digest or pass certain materials (bone, fur, feathers) and need to regurgitate those as pellets. Owl pellets are a unique and useful way of understanding certain diets of specific owl groups. Like most birds, owls will lay and incubate their eggs, raise their young and care for their young for a while after hatching. They do not often build their own nests like most bird species do, and instead look for ready-made homes. Owls form pair-bonds to raise young, similar to other birds. Like other birds they return to the same nesting grounds year after year barring certain changes to the area.

Spectacled Owl in Bucaramanga, Colombia.

I had never really considered where they nest and how little they prepare their nests. They are also somewhat unusual in that the female begins incubating immediately after the start of laying, so that the young are not all exactly the same age. I wonder if this affects the younger ones? Do they learn by watching their older siblings? Does this give them an advantage? I like that owls are nocturnal and I love listening to their songs and calls (both live and recorded). I really enjoy hearing the little screech owls around our house. Sometimes there are many and seem to be calling from all around us. Especially in late summer. The duets are rather unusual for birds, I think. I guess a bird pair that relies a lot on sound really does need to vocalize with each other.

They lay eggs and incubate eggs.and care for their young like other birds.But they hunt at night.

Despite their mysterious reputation, the lives of owls are more similar, than different, to other familiar birds, especially cavity nesters.  Possible exceptions are owls "superpowers", or adaptations for hunting at night, as most species are nocturnal.  Also, young owls seem to leave the nest fairly early, so they are able to "branch" into nearby trees, for protection from possible predators.

Similar - they fly and eat Different - most of the activity is done at night

The most striking difference between the lifestyle of owls and other birds is their adaptation to the night. I have always been fascinated by nocturnal animals who adapt to this very different way of living. Owls, like other birds, build nests, lay eggs, incubate those eggs, and care for thier young.

I don't know well the behavoir of night bird to compare. I m very impresive about owl, thier capacity to fly  with no noise, to ear with such precision, to see with a few light. I wouold lie to know how can i swatch them, i have never see one

I absolutely love birds. From backyard birds, parakeets, parrots, chickens, ducks, and especially birds of prey like Owls and Falcons. The lifestyle of owls are similar to falcons because they are predators, eating small animals and hunting from above. They are different from birds like chickens and ducks due to the fact that they don't eat the same thing, nor do they stay in groups. They are also nocturnal and regurgitate their food instead of passing it through their bowels.

OOPS! Sorry, but in my previous post I meant that LONG-eared owl, not short-eared owls, are know to roost together in the non- breeding season!

I found the fact that owls are such loners interesting and quite a contrast to the many birds who flock and move together during the non-breeding season.  I had always had an idea that owls were loners, but did not realize the degree to which they are loners. It was interesting that, as an exception, short-eared owls are know to form communal roosts. In regard to family life, the concept of the young "branching" was interesting.  I am really enjoying this course. All kinds of new information!

Found these northern saw-whet owls in an aspen tree at South Lake Tahoe, 7/31/14

similarities between owls and other birds: They nest, they lay eggs, raise chicks, defend territories, fly With the exception of flightless birds. Differences between owls and other bird species is : Owls are nocturnal, what they eat is different from, for example.... Blue Birds, Cardinals, Finches, etc. (the seed/fruit eaters and totally different from what Hummingbirds eat. How they fly silently is different too!

Their song/call is so different from other birds. Hearing one at night is always a surprise and a treat. It's a mysterious and almost eerie mood-setter, especially when you can't spot it, visually. Their big eyes also seem to dare you to a round of combat, what with their forward-facing gaze.

Watching grea horned owls nest on our campus has really helped me understand their life cycle better. These are a few photos of the owlets.

I have seen few owls in my life which is due to where I live and my habits and some other things which I have little control over. As I have indicated earlier, the only owl that I have been lucky to see in my neighborhood is  the Great Horned Owl in December of two different years.  I will compare  the owl to a frequent visitor to my feeding station in my back yard: the red-bellied woodpecker. As I have come to find out as a result of this course is  the relationship between woodpeckers and owls. Owls need woodpeckers for their abandoned nests as few owls build their own. Woodpeckers are daytime birds and many owls are nighttime birds. Owls are birds of prey and woodpeckers are not. Someday, I hope to have a chance to view such great owls as the Great Gray Owl, the Spotted Owl, and the SawWhet, to name a few. I would love to gaze upon a Snowy Owl but I live in Texas, so not likely that I will see one unless I travel, which I hope happens some day. I love owls for their place in the wilderness,  which we need to preserve to the benefit of all.

I keep thinking about how the Northern hawk owl looks so much like the northern Harrier, one of my favorite raptors. I do so love their ability to move so incredibly slowly, low over a field, appearing to defy gravity as they barely move forward but barely flap their wings. I like the owls that hunt that way, I suppose. Especially impressive is the Great Grey Owl when he glides over the snow listening for prey.

The owls are birds and therefore do the same things that the vast majority of birds do. But they differ by their mainly nocturnal habits, they are not very sociable (although there are exceptions), they reproduce and feed in a very particular way. Parents are very protective, even against another predator. The pellets are very interesting because we can know what owls eat. Baby of the Short-eared Owl in the Sabana de Bogotá, Colombia

Even  baby owls look cute with those fluffy feathers and  forward eyes. I like very much the spectacled owl and the burrowing owl babies. It is surprising how they pass from that to an adult. The pellets did not seemed very disgusting to me. I also did not knew owls migrated. I only knew the burrowing owl did it. I even knew less that they moved from Europe to Asia.

Though owls engage in the same activities as most birds (hunting, raising young, etc.), their most notable differences are that they are nocturnal, do not often build their own nests, regurgitate sizable pellets, and are solitary. However, some of these characteristics are not strictly confined to owls (though they are commonly associated with them). For example, most raptors have pellets and are solitary. Some herons are also nocturnal.

Owls are way more solitary than other birds but this works in their  lifestyle because than they would be noticed more and avoided or driven off. Their sit and watch technique reminds me of flycatchers but they are able to do it in the dark which is incredible. Their secrecy is incredible! Does anyone have any tips on how to find owls especially the small ones?

The perch-and-pounce technique kind of reminds me of when flycatchers wait for an insect to fly by before they quickly dart towards and grab their prey. However owls can do this in complete darkness using only their hearing.