Barred Owls are around all year. They breed here in Vermont's woods, courting and nesting and raising their young any time from mid-March through June. These are diurnal owls, meaning that they hunt both by day and by night. We happened upon this beauty soon after noon on a trail at the Shelburne Bay Park.
We looked at the owl, the owl looked at us, we looked at the owl. And then the big bird lost interest, turning away in apparent boredom.
The Barred Owl's characteristic "who cooks for you? who cooks for you alllll" call is most often heard at dawn and dusk, although sometimes an individual owl feels motivated to call at mid-day.
Liam Kearney of Jeffersonville sent us a wonderful video of a Barred Owl visiting backyard feeders, patiently waiting for a mole or vole to pop up out of the blanket of snow in search of some dropped seed. There's a link to the video at the end of this post - but first: There's a lot to see when you look at an owl!
Look into those big beautiful eyes! Owls meet us eye to eye. Some people have suggested that's reason for the love, fear, fascination and respect humans feel for owls.
Most birds have eyes on the sides of their heads, but birds of prey have eyes that face forward. This gives them binocular vision (the ability to see with both eyes at the same time) as well as a wide field of view.
Notice how an owl's head seems to change shape as it looks this way and that. The shape of the facial disc can be altered at will as an owl listens for prey moving through leaves or under snow. Owls can pinpoint the exact locations of tiny mice or other critters because of minute time differences between what the left ear hears and what the right ear hears.
Enjoy how soft and thick the feathers look. Owls' plumage lets them drop down on unsuspecting prey without making a sound. The leading edges of their feathers are serrated like a comb, which breaks down air turbulence. And broad wings let them float, with very little flapping.
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| wing of a Barred Owl killed by a car |
In the video, you'll see some little birds flying around. They're not comfortable enough to land near the big owl, but they're also not spooked so badly that they take off for some other yard. Barred Owls rarely prey on songbirds. They're not designed for catching prey in the air, preferring to drop silently onto their prey with their talons outstretched.
In general, Barred Owls choose prey that they can swallow whole. They then digest the little animals and get rid of parts they can't use by ejecting a pellet of fur, bones and teeth. But in hard winters, when snow or crusty ice prevents them from reaching small prey, they will go for bigger prey. Last winter a Barred Owl killed a rabbit in our driveway.
Bernie first noticed an odd bump in the driveway, barely visible in the predawn gloom. After a few minutes, he could make out the owl, hunched over its prey.
The bird was very aware of the two of us watching from the living room window, but it wasn't willing to give up such a huge source of nourishment.
Sit back and click here to spend a few minutes with Liam's Jeffersonville owl.
photos by Bernie, words by Maeve
Some wonderful comments about wonderful owls!
wonderful wonderful from bw
I have enjoyed owls at my feeder the last three winters, usually late winter. One year I watched the owl swoop into the snow bank and come out with a vole. Watching them brings such awe, excitement and enjoyment. from I.B.
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