![]() Northern saw-whet owls are mostly solitary creatures, only socializing with their mates. But their sharp cries make it easier to locate them in their forest homes. Because these owls are nocturnal, and because they’re so small, they can be difficult to track. Northern saw-whet owls like to prey on deer mice, using their sharp beaks to tear their prey into smaller pieces, breaking up a single mouse into several meals. At just 8 inches in length and with a wingspan of 22 inches, northern saw-whet owls are among the smallest owls in the United States. Short-eared owls use sharp “waowk-waowk-waowk” calls to communicate and “eeee-yerp” cries during the mating season. These owls have small, round faces with pale tan to creamy white facial disks accented by black-brimmed yellow eyes. Short-eared owls have tawny plumage on their backs and wings with tan bellies that are interspersed with vertical dark brown streaks. The ear tufts of the short-eared owl are situated towards the center of their heads, and they’re so short that sometimes they may not be visible at all. Short-eared owls sometimes dine on songbirds and will tear the wings off before swallowing them whole. They use their powerful wings to stay upright as they swoop feet-first to capture their prey, which consists of small mammals, rodents, reptiles, and amphibians. These birds are typically 17 inches in length and have wingspans of up to 43 inches. Short-eared owls have very distinctive flight patterns, with irregular wingbeats similar to that of bats or moths. Females construct their bowl-shaped nests in the ground, lining them with feathers, grasses, and other soft materials before laying clutches of 4 to 7 eggs. These owls are some of the few that prefer to build their own nests. Northern Hawk Owl Range & Migration MapĪ classic birdwatcher favorite, short-eared owls hunt during the daytime and can be found throughout the United States. Northern hawk owls have nearly solid brown backs and striped fronts and use shrill rolling whistles to attract potential mates. ![]() Their vibrant yellow eyes and beaks stand in stark contrast to their red-brown feathers. These owls are characterized by long tails and small round heads surrounded by a border of dark brown feathers. Hawk owls look like owls, but act like hawks, perching in treetops and searching for their prey right out in the open during the daylight hours. Fearless and confrontational, northern hawk owls will attack anything that wanders too close to their nesting sites, whether it’s a squirrel or a human. Northern hawk owls nest in dead trees and hollow stumps, where they raise clutches of 3 to 11 eggs at a time. As their name implies, the northern hawk owl prefers to stick to the northernmost portion of North America, but stragglers have been known to find their way south as food becomes scarce. Still, they can track small mammals beneath a foot of snow if need be. These owls have poorer hearing than most others because their ear openings are not asymmetrical. But the northern hawk owl prefers to hunt by sight and can spot its prey from an amazing distance of half a mile away. As birds of prey, owls must rely on all of their senses to close in on a kill.
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