Who Gives a Hoot?

WHO
GIVES A HOOT?

By
Cheryl Conley

Board
of Directors Lake Creek Nature Preserve

No taller than a pint glass and about the size of a robin, they blend seamlessly with their surroundings thanks to masterful
camouflage. Eastern screech owls are highly skilled hunters and are more often
heard than seen, emerging at dusk to hunt throughout the night. They have a
whistling call rather than an actual screech, which they use to communicate and
defend territories under the cover of darkness.

Eastern screech owls can be found throughout the Eastern United
States, generally east of the Rocky Mountains. Their primary habitat is wooded
areas and they prefer trees with cavities for nesting and roosting. It may be a
natural cavity or can even be one made previously by a woodpecker. Don’t be
surprised if you find one has moved into your squirrel box or a nesting box
you’ve put up for another species. They’ve adapted well to populated areas and
are happy to call home parks and residential areas with mature trees as long as
the trees are suitable and there is a food source.

Screech owls are carnivores and their diet consists mainly of small
mammals like mice, rats, squirrels, shrews and moles. They will also eat small
birds, insects, lizards, frogs and toads, worms and spiders. Being nocturnal,
they need exceptional night vision for hunting. Their eyes are very large
relative to their body size and are fixed forward in their sockets. Many other
birds have eyes on the sides of the head. Although owls can’t move their eyes,
they have very flexible necks and can turn their heads almost 360 degrees
largely expanding their field of vision. Their vision is binocular, meaning
they use both eyes together and see the same object simultaneously giving them
a three-dimensional view and enhanced depth perception. It helps them track
their prey and adjust their movements in flight.

They can be either gray or a reddish-brown and both male and female
look identical so you won’t be able to tell the difference between them.
Females typically lay 3 to 5 eggs that are laid at 2 to 3-day intervals and
incubation lasts 26 days on average. Only about half of the eggs actually
hatch. Interestingly, once the eggs are laid, the female will lose the feathers
on her belly which is a hormonal response to egg laying. This bald patch is
called a brooding patch and enhances the transfer of body heat to the eggs. The
female leaves the nest twice, usually at dusk and again at dawn to stretch,
preen and defecate. The male does all of the hunting and delivers the prey to
the female. During incubation, it’s interesting to watch the movements of the
male. He will roost between 14 and 20 feet away. During the hatching process,
he’ll move closer to the nest, even as close as 6 feet. Once all the eggs have
hatched, he’ll move farther away again. He continues to deliver food to the
family either in whole or headless and it’s up to the female to tear it into
small pieces for the babies.

It takes between 24 and 32 days for the young ones to reach the fledgling
stage. They may be on a branch or on the ground. They hop and flutter and work
on their flying skills. They continue to be fed and protected by their parents
for up to 10 weeks. During this time, they are learning to fly and to hunt.
After 10 weeks, they are able to survive on their own.

As
urban sprawl continues to wipe out our trees, suitable natural cavities can be
scarce. You can provide a safe haven for these fascinating little birds by
building a screech owl nesting box. Providing one is more than just a simple
woodworking project; it’s an impactful way to support local wildlife. If you’re interested in building a
nest box for eastern screech owls, here are a couple of reputable resources
with detailed instructions and plans. I’m sure there are several more if you
want to do a web search.

https://www.audubon.org/news/how-build-screech-owl-nest-box

https://www.owlpages.com/download/Screech_Owl_Nest_Box_Plans_-_Braddock_Bay_Raptor_Research.pdf

You can also find plans on You Tube.

If you’d rather purchase a ready-made
box, they are available on several sites but here are a couple:

https://www.amazon.com/Screech-Owl-Boxes/s?k=Screech+Owl+Boxes

https://www.wildbirdstoreonline.com/collections/screech-owl-boxes