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It's that time of year when our thoughts turn
to spring and the upcoming explosion of new life. Owls are among the many
creatures who will welcome new young into the world in the coming months.
While they are hard to see during the daylight hours, most nights during
the last few months I have been privy to the mating calls of the Great Horned
Owls who nest near my house. Great Horned Owls can be found in almost every
ecosystem in Colorado, except for the high tundra, and they are highly acclimated
to human settlements.
These owls call throughout the year, but their calls become
much more amorous and insistent during December and January when the mating
fever reaches its peak. By the end of February, Great Horned Owl pairs have
selected their nesting site. Owls do not build their own nests, so they
must find a tree cavity, abandoned ledge or even mine shaft that provides
some protection for their eggs, or reuse another nest built by a previous
occupant. The female lays one to five eggs which hatch within a month.
At six weeks old, the young begin exploring in the branches
or ledges near the nest. Should they flutter to the ground, they make highly
desirable dinners for the predators roaming nearby. The adults will keep
an eye on the young, and try to chase off any coyote or fox who ventures
near until the young can fly. The young stay with their parents through
the summer and fall and are finally chased away during the next breeding
season.
Great Horned Owl parents do not scold their children for
swallowing their food without chewing it; in fact, owls (of all ages) swallow
their food whole. Owls prey on a variety of small birds and mammals, and
after catching their dinner, they gulp it down bones and all. The unfortunate
animal is digested and the parts that are not digestible, such as bones,
fur or feathers, are regurgitated in a small pellet. Recently, a member
of the Durango Nature Studies staff found an owl pellet that contained a
complete bat skull, a scorpion tail and several kinds of rodents. As many
of our child nature scouts know, dissecting an owl pellet can tell you a
great deal about what the owl is eating and what prey are most vulnerable
to an owl’s hunting prowess.
Great Horned Owls are supreme hunters that do most of their
hunting at night. A combination of adaptations give them an advantage in
night hunting, including incredible hearing and a wing structure that is
designed to make a minimum amount of noise as they swoop down for their
prey. Owls have excellent nighttime eyesight, and this in addition to their
hearing and their intimate knowledge of their hunting territory make them
formidable predators.
When looking for owls, scan for pellets under a likely
nesting site, whether it is a tree or at the base of a ledge. Once when
examining a pile of owl pellets on the forest floor, I looked up in the
tree to see several youngsters staring back down at me. Even if you don’t
see them, listen for them hooting at night throughout the coming months.
Chances are, there is a nest somewhere near you.
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