Hovering takes a lot of energy. Burrowing Owls commonly run across the ground after their prey. In all methods, owls generally hunt close to the ground so that they can more easily hear and see their prey. Owls sometimes hide their food. They capture prey and use their bill to carefully stuff the food into a hiding spot. This is called caching pronounced CASH-ing. Owls might cache prey in holes in trees, in the forks of tree branches, behind rocks, or in clumps of grass.
Owls do this when the hunting is good in order to stock up and will usually go back for the prey within a day or two. At the end of a day or night spent hunting, owls return to a resting place, called a roost.
Most owls roost alone, or near a nest during the breeding season. However, there are a few species that roost communally, or share a roosting area with other individuals of the same species. Although poorly understood, owls may benefit in one or more ways from sharing the same roost. The owls can watch for mobbing songbirds and predators. They may also huddle together to keep each other warm.
Shared roosts probably make it easier for owls to find partners during the mating season. Owls may even pass along information about good hunting spots. The roost is commonly located next to good hunting grounds so owls can search for prey as soon as they leave or return to the roost. Late winter is mating time for most owls. Males begin seeking mates by calling through the afternoon and evening air. Generally, the large owls hoot and the small owls toot. The large Barred Owl hoots in a loud, low call that sounds like a question, "Who cooks for you?
Who cooks for you all? You can listen to the individual owl calls on our Owl ID pages. A female owl will listen for a call that interests her. She will only respond to calls from males of the same species.
Once a male owl gains the interest of a female, he starts performing, or showing off. He might display his feathers by fluffing them out. He might give the female gifts of food. Then he will fly up again and hang in the wind. He may repeat this dance several times, all in an effort to impress the female.
At the end of the performance, the male dives past the female into the grass. If the female follows him, the two owls may become a mating pair. Mating owls spend a great deal of time together. This gesture is called preening. Scientists think it reduces fighting and other aggressive behavior. It also helps owls keep their feathers in good condition. Many owl pairs stretch their necks forward toward their mates and coo, as if they enjoy the preening session.
Owls are talented hunters, but nest builders they are not. Many owls take advantage of the hard work performed by other animals, instead of building their nests from scratch. Some owls, like Great Horned Owls, use vacant nests in trees or on cliffs that were built by hawks, crows, magpies, or other birds. Many owls simply nest in holes, called cavities or hollows, in trees. These tree cavities occur naturally, but are often created by woodpeckers.
Elf Owls nest in saguaro cacti, where woodpeckers have created ready-made holes. This adept hunter sports a beautiful coat of grey feathers and the largest facial disc of any known bird.
While largely nocturnal, Great Grey Owls also hunt throughout the daytime. Swamplands and moist forests appeal more to this bird than other habitats do, but they are willing to inhabit other environments, especially during migration. Great Grey Owls do not build their own nests. They prefer to use old nests build by Ravens or other raptors, and will often reuse the same nests for several years.
Source: goodfreephotos. These large, adaptable birds can be found in a wide variety of habitats. With no natural predators in the wild and only human interference to fear, Eurasian Eagle Owls can live to the ripe old age of 20 years in its natural habitat.
Like most owls, this feathered hunter is nocturnal and plays an important part in keeping the populations of prey animals in check. The Eurasian Eagle Owl enjoys a flexible diet of mammals, birds, fish, insects, and reptiles. This large predator has even been known to take down young deer for its dinner. The National Wildlife Federation. Great Horned Owl. Classification: Bird. Range The great horned owl is found throughout the continental United States, as well as in Alaska.
Life History Courtship begins in January or February between a pair of mating great horned owls. Conservation Great horned owls are stable. Donate Today. Sign a Petition. Donate Monthly. Nearby Events. All trick, no treat? The high price of harvesting cocoa for chocolate Read More. Read More. Learn More.
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