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What happens to younger owl nestlings when food is scarce?
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Owl
Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus).
When food supplies are inadequate to support an entire brood, younger owl nestlings typically starve.1
Because owl eggs are laid at intervals and hatching is not synchronized, the oldest and youngest nestlings in a large brood can be born several weeks apart. When prey is scarce, the more aggressive older nestlings are able to maintain their growth rates, while the younger, smaller nestlings are unable to compete for sufficient food and perish.1