owl

Ecology

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Owls utilize virtually all habitats, from grassland and tundra to dense woodland and rainforest. The distribution and density of most species seem to be limited by the availability of suitable nesting sites, rather than by the number of potential prey animals. In general the type of prey taken is dictated by the size of the owl and by the relative abundance of potential prey. Owls that hunt over grassland, such as the barn owl and short-eared owl, hunt by sustained flight, dropping into the grass to catch rodents. Many woodland owls secure prey by dropping from perches at the edges of forest openings. The Southeast Asian hawk owl (Ninox scutulata) sallies from a perch to take flying insects. The whiskered owl (Otus trichopsis) takes flying insects in foliage. Fish owls (Ketupa and Scotopelia) are adapted for taking live fish but also eat other animals. Specialized forms of feeding behaviour have been observed in some owls. The elf owl (Micrathene whitneyi), for instance, has been seen hovering before blossoms, where it scares insects into flight with its wings and then catches them with its beak. A bay owl (Phodilus badius) has been documented stationing itself within a cave to catch bats as they issued forth at dusk. A variety of owls may depend on a single prey species when it becomes exceptionally abundant. Prey is generally swallowed whole, and indigestible material, such as feathers, fur, and bones, are regurgitated in the form of a compact pellet.

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Behaviour

Sound is important to owls, especially in mating and territorial defense. Camouflage, daytime immobility, and silent flight may combine to make it as difficult for owls to see each other as it is for natural enemies and human observers to see them. Usual owl sounds include snaps of the bill, claps of the wings in flight, and a variety of vocalizations, with pitches, timbres, and rhythms unique to each species. Pitch differs between sexes (the female higher). Although less melodious than the calls of some birds, the vocalizations of many owls are “songs” in the biological sense and can even be musical to the human ear. The song varies from deep hoots in some large species to chirps, whistles, or warblings in many small owls. When nestlings of the burrowing owl (Speotyto cunicularia) are threatened, the young emit a call that resembles the warning buzz of a rattlesnake—a frequent inhabitant of rodent burrows.

In North American screech owls (genus Otus), a duet that seems to reinforce the pair bond starts with a special song by the male. He is eventually answered in kind by the female, often from a distance. After 10 to 15 minutes of antiphonal (answering) singing, during which the two approach each other, the pair switches to a second duet, during which they meet. In the early spring this may be followed by precopulatory calls and posturing, then mating. Other calls of the screech owl include a note uttered by the female to stimulate the young to reveal their location after they have left the nest; a food-soliciting call by the young; and barking calls accompanied by bill-snapping, which indicate that the young are being ejected from the territory. Calls are also used during the adjustment of territorial boundaries. In many smaller species that do not normally sing duets, the male may sing all night from a single perch.

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The nocturnal routine of most owls involves peaks of activity at dusk and dawn. The owl leaves its secluded roost about dusk and moves to a perch overlooking the hunting area. There is a brief period of song, followed by about half an hour of foraging, then a longer period of song. Most of the darker hours of the night are spent inactively, with a period of alternating singing and hunting just before dawn.

Posturing by singing owls indicates that they communicate by sight as well as by sound. The male great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) bows deeply with each song and raises the tail over the back. The wood owls (Strix species) engage in bowing, bobbing, and dancing, especially when courting. A defense display given by most large owls when threatened or when defending the nest involves increasing apparent body size by spreading the wings halfway and rotating them forward. The body feathers are raised, and the fearsome appearance is enhanced by snapping the bill and rocking the body from side to side. When seeking to avoid attention at its daytime roost (especially when being attacked by small birds), the owl compresses the plumage, elevates the ear tufts, and half closes the eyes. Combined with its barklike colour and pattern of the plumage, the owl looks like a broken branch.