I wrote about my experiences with owls and the distribution of owls on the Long Beach Peninsula last week. In other words, where one might go to find the owls that are residents of the area.

This week I am continuing to write about owls with an emphasis on how best to find them and their characteristics.

Owl characteristics

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology recently compiled important information about owls that the lab uses in its course on this raptor species. A summary of some of these follows but also includes scientific findings from other ornithological sources.

Owls have keen night vision that give them an edge for hunting. Their pupils have the ability to expand. This feature maximizes their ability to see in low light. Although most owls hunt at night, some owls, such as the barred owl, are diurnal.

An owl’s ear shape facilitates hearing sound. Their hearing is amazing. The shape of their face facilitates listening. Their facial disks have stiff outer feathers that help to channel sound to their ear openings located under the softer feathers below. It is important to note that ear tufts, such as those on the great horned owl and long-eared owl, are not used for hearing but rather are used for communication and as camouflage. Owl flight is silent. They have special feathers that break up the sound of the air. The feathers’ velvet-like surface and fringed trailing edges both help to decrease the sound of flight.

Like all raptors they have strong talons for perching and grabbing prey. However, the burrowing owl is terrestrial. It does not perch in trees like other owls. They prefer treeless areas such as grasslands, deserts and prairies where it often nests in abandoned prairie dog burrows, but scientists have also found that the burrowing owl can excavate a burrow of its own. Its nesting habits are unique among owls.

Camouflage is an important feature of protection. Snowy owls spend most of their time in the Arctic, their breeding grounds. Their mainly white plumage blends in perfectly. Owls of the forest have colors and patterns that make them less visible when hunting, especially at night. Patterns and color also help to disguise owls that perch in trees in that these features make them look just like the bark of the trees they roost in.

Owls come in various sizes, from the very small to the very large. Our smallest owls include the northern saw-whet, measuring 7-8.5 inches, the northern pygmy owl, at 6.5-7 inches, and the western screech owl, measuring 6.5-10 inches. The largest owls we have on the Peninsula are the snowy owl, at 20-27 inches, followed by the great horned owl, at 18-25 inches, and the barred owl, at 17-19 inches.

Locating owls

The best way to look for owls in my experience is to go on an owl prowl during the daylight hours. Dawn and dusk are especially good times for seeing owls.

Night-time owl prowls, again in my experience, have consisted of listening for calls and maybe, if one is lucky, seeing a dark and silent shadow in flight.

Many owls are diurnal, which means they will hunt during the day as well as at night. Some will rest in woodland groves of pines during the day, for example. When looking in conifer forests, search for trees decorated with white-wash. Look carefully on the forest floor for owl pellets, which have been regurgitated and contain fur, bones and body parts of their prey. Some owls prefer grasslands and prairies. Look for them on fence posts during daylight hours or resting in the prairie grasses.

Knowing an owl’s habitat and food preferences and where it is likely to nest, hunt or roost will go a long way to ensuring a successful owl prowl.

As I said last week, owls are amazing creatures with amazing characteristics that support and protect them throughout their lives. We should all “give a hoot” for this species. Happy birding!