Owls

 Owls 

Horned Owl being held by a falconer

Owls are nocturnal birds of prey that live in most regions of the world from the Arctic Tundra to tropical forests in South America, Asia, and Africa. Like their diurnal equivalents, owls occupy a variety of niches and many species focus on certain types of prey or hunt in different habitats. Owls are also known for their intelligence, ability to turn their head 270 degrees, and their unique flight feathers that make them silent in the air. There are 181 species of owls across the world in two families (Strigidae and Tytonidae) while North America has 19 species. In the Carolinas there are six species of owls plus three species that are considered vagrant or accidental species. Because most owls are nocturnal and furtive, many species that are considered rare may be overlooked and recent findings indicate that a number of owl species are being reported outside of their normal ranges during the winter months. The more widespread species have done quite well in human-altered environments and any of the owl species in our area can be found in parks, gardens, and towns. 

Overview

Barred Owl in its natural habitat in Maine June 2015

Owls are divided into two groups, the Typical Owls in family Strigidae,  and the Barn Owls in family Tytonide. Both families are similar in hunting technique, their overall look, and role although there are differences in genetic, physical, and skeletal features. Owls have strong downturned beaks for eating prey, have eyeballs that are fixed in one position with a disc of feathers around it, and typical feet (Zygodactyl) with long claws. All owls are predators and take everything from insects to  mammals the size of cats or raccoons (the Great Horned Owl and European Eagle Owl might take larger prey than that). Owls range in size from the tiny 14cm (5.5") Elf Owl to the Eagle Owls which  78cm (31") although the largest birds are not always the heaviest (i.e. Snowy Owls are heavier than the Eagle, Great Horned, or Great Grey Owls). Most owls are nocturnal hunters although many species can hunt during the day. They are most active during dawn and dusk rather than during the nighttime hours. They have a very strong sense of sound but also have great vision as well.

Hunting: Each owl species has its own hunting techniques or behavior, and like most birds, owls are very intelligent and can learn skills or techniques overtime. Most owls hunt like hawks where they use perches and listen or search for prey before pouncing on them from above. Some species such as Short Eared, Hawk, and Barn Owls hunt mostly on the wing. The flight feathers of an owl allow for it to remain completely silent while flying, making it easier for them to sneak up on prey or avoid danger. However, owls feathers are not waterproof, and the birds are unable to hunt during periods  of rain, making rainy years difficult for breeding pairs to sufficiently feed young. 

Behavior: Owls are generally territorial usually live solitarily or in pairs, although young may associate with their parents for a long time. Most species have very large territories that may cover many kilometers (or miles) and cross different landscapes. They can be somewhat aggressive and will attack other members of their species, or other owl species that encroach on their range. During the nesting season, owls like Great Horned, Eurasian Eagle Owls, and other species can be aggressive towards humans or pets and can cause serious injury (same is the case for most hawks). Always give birds of prey space and do not approach their nest sites. During the day, owls typically roost in dense trees, buildings, caves, or hollow trees where they are safe from daytime predators, or hordes of crows, jays, and other birds that mob predators. 

Breeding: Owls can breed almost anytime of year with many of the birds timing their nests to periods of abundance. In the Carolinas, four of the five breeding species usually nest during the autumn or winter (Sept to Mar) rather than during the summer months. This may be to reduce competition with diurnal birds like hawks, eagles, or crows, to time hatching to certain food sources, or other reasons not yet understood. Owls announce their territories with loud calls with several species giving hooting or cooing calls that are familiar to many people. However, some species like the Barn Owl and Screech Owl make screams or hollow rattles instead. Nests are typically found in protected places like tree holes, hollows, caves, or old crow, hawk, or eagle nests. Several species will nest in abandoned homes, barns, church belfries, or under bridges. Breeding may take 2-3 months and both parents provide care and hunt for food during this time. 

For more information visit this Wikipedia page about Owls

Owls in the Carolinas 

Screech Owl on display at falconry show in Wilmington 

The Carolinas have nine species of owls that have been reported with six of them being regular species in North or South Carolina. The Cape Fear Region shares almost all of the species although  five species are considered regulars. Our species include the Great Horned, Barred, Screech, and Barn Owls which are year-round residents, plus the Short Eared Owl, which is a winter resident in some areas. The remaining species include the Long Eared, Saw-Whet, and Snowy Owl which are considered rare although the first two species may be underreported or overlooked during the winter. For those short on time here is a list of reported owl species in our area. For more details read on or click on the links to the specie's profile at Cornell Lab of Ornithology's allaboutbirds.org. 

• Great Horned Owl 
• Barred Owl 
• Screech Owl  
• Barn Owl 
• Short Eared Owl 
• Saw Whet Owl
• Long Eared Owl 
• Snowy Owl  
• Burrowing Owl 

Great Horned Owl 

Bubo virginianus

The Great Horned Owl is our largest and most common owl species and is the species we are probably the most familiar with. This owl and its European counterpart the Eagle Owl are very powerful hunters and can take sizeable mammals (cat or skunk sized or larger) and birds as large as geese. Horned Owls are also the most widespread of any bird of prey in the Americas with its range extending from Alaska and Northern Canada (Hudson Bay, Newfoundland etc) to South America. This owl also is our most "stereotypical or generic" owl with large ear tufts, an upright posture and yellow eyes with black pupils. Horned Owls can be found virtually anywhere and may hunt nocturnally or during the day. The Red Tailed Hawk is the diurnal counterpart of the Horned Owl. This is our second largest owl with the Great Grey Owl of the Boreal Region being longer with a larger wingspan, while the Snowy Owl is the heaviest.  Learn More at All About Birds

Description: A large owl with an upright posture and a cylindrical shape. Its characteristics include large ear tufts (like a cat), yellowish  eyes, and a brown, grey, or even reddish brown color pattern  with horizontal bars, and an orange or reddish face. Easily told from the Barred Owl which lacks ear tufts and has vertical bars. Can look like a Red Tailed Hawk but has a different flight profile, broad wings, flat head, and shorter tail

Plumage: Variable, most birds are brownish or greyish with distinctive bars, orange or reddish face.

Size: 61-71cm (24-28") with a wingspan of up to 1.2m (4ft). Weight: 1.4kg (~3lb). Female is larger  than male. 

Calls: The main call is a low series of hoots that sounds like a generic owl call. Usually written as "Hoo hoo hooot hoo" and is somewhat doglike. The Barred Owl has more of a rhythmic hooting pattern. Horned Owls also make various barks, shrieks, wheezes, and a rather humanlike scream.    

Habitat: Open woodlands, countryside, parkland, towns and cities, hunts over fields, marshes, or along roadsides.

 

Nesting: Breeds from October to March and typically nests in a nest of an Osprey, Red Tailed Hawk, Common Crow, or Bald Eagle. May also use tree hollows, barns, bridges, belfries, high-rises, or burrows as nest sites. Raises 2-4 birds per season. 

Hunting: Typically hunts from perches or by flying low over fields and meadows. Usually perches in tall trees, fences, telephone poles, or roofs overlooking open areas. Preys mostly on rodents, rabbits, and mammals up to the size of cats or skunks, but may take larger prey. This owl also eats birds ranging from doves to geese, reptiles, large insects, and occasionally fish. 

Notes: Great Horned Owls are very successful around humans and the abundance of rats, squirrels and other opportunistic animals attracted to human refuse has helped these owls. Horned Owls will displace the slightly smaller Barred Owl in most areas that are not forested, and may also push out the declining Barn or Screech Owl. They are an apex predator of the bird world.  

Barred Owl

Strix varia

The Barred Owl is a mid-sized to large owl that represents are second most common species and  the one that is most likely to be encountered during the daytime hours. Barred Owls are mostly forest dwellers and hunt within wooded areas. They have short broad wings and are skilled at flying between trees to sneak up on prey while the Horned Owl prefers more open areas. Barred Owls are pretty widespread occur across most of the Eastern and Northern regions of North America and in all  regions of the Carolinas. This owl can hunt day or night and is often seen flying low over waterways or woodland openings on overcast days or late in the afternoon. It is more diurnal than the Horned Owl. Barred Owls are the nocturnal equivalent of the Red Shouldered Hawk and coexist in most forests, swamps, and riverine habitats in the Carolinas. This is also amongst our tamest owls with most birds sitting still when approached. Learn More at All About Birds

Description: A rather large owl that is between the size of a Common Crow and a Red Shouldered Hawk but is smaller than a Great Horned Owl. The main characteristic of this species is its puffy and barrel-like look, flat face with no ear-tufts, and its barred plumage. Barred Owls  have black eyes,  yellow bills, and more of a monkey or orangutang like look (not unlike an oversized Barn Owl). In flight they have broad wings and short tails, told from hawks by its flat face and silent wingbeats.  

Plumage: Most birds are greyish brown with cryptic wing  patterns, a grey and white face with a disc around the head, and a whitish body with vertical streaks. Less variable than the Horned Owl. Generally unmistakable.

Size: 46-53cm (18-21"), Wingspan: up to 1.2m (4ft), Weight 720g (1.6lb). Females larger than male

Calls: A distinctive and haunting rhythmic hooting pattern that sounds like "Whoo Cooks for You" interchanged a loud cackling or howling sound (not unlike a monkey or ape). This species also makes doglike barks, a loud shrieking sound, and a low growl. Calls can be heard day or night and the voice is almost unforgettable.

Habitat: Mainly old-growth coniferous or mixed forests, wooded swamps, or wooded countryside with small open areas. Barred Owls may also reside in riparian buffers, wooded suburbs, parks, or even near villages or towns with large trees. Hunts mostly within forests, along creeks, or in small clearings  and meadows. 

 

Nesting: Breeds mostly from September to April and raises one brood per year. Pairs mostly nest in a  hollow tree, Pileated Woodpecker hole, or in old hawk and crow nests. Barred Owls might also use abandoned buildings or other manmade structures within forests, specalized nest boxes (owlery), or even boxes meant for Wood Ducks. Raises 2-5 young per year. 

Hunting: Barred Owls may hunt day or night and usually hunt  from perches within woodlands or near watercourses. They fly low to the ground or near the treetops where they catch primarily squirrels, mice, rats, voles, or occasionally rabbits. This owl takes songbirds, grouse, and small waterfowl on occasion, and may also feed on crayfish, fish, or mollusks in shallows. 

Notes: Barred Owls are quite adaptable and have done relatively well in Wilmington where they are commonly seen along creeks and riparian areas such as Burnt Mill Creek, and in places like Greenfield Lake or Airlie Gardens. They are often displaced or even preyed upon by Great Horned Owls and are absent in woodlots or residential areas with this species. Barred Owls are the most likely owl to be encountered as they are tamed (and generally nonaggressive), conspicuous, and frequently hunt in daylight when nests are active. You can provide a nest box or owlery in your garden or have one set up in a wooded park to provide roosting or nesting sites for this common but  declining species. 

Screech Owl

Otus asio (Megascops asio)

The Screech Owl or Eastern Screech Owl is our smallest owl and amongst the species  in North America it ahead of only the Elf and Pigmy Owl. The Western Screech Owl and Saw-Whet Owl are about the same size however. This owl is basically a miniature Great Horned Owl with the same upright posture, yellow eyes, and catlike ear-tufts. The Screech Owl is rather uncommon and is seldom seen as it is strictly nocturnal, tiny, and roosts mostly in tree holes or very dense conifers. Screech Owls hunt mostly within forests and uses branches or shrubs as perches. This species is also very tame and may respond to recordings of its call and is occasionally found in manmade structures. Learn More at All About Birds

Description: Small owl that is barely larger than a small thrush or large sparrow with an upright posture. This owl has ear tufts, yellow eyes with black pupils and is essentially a scale-model of a Great Horned Owl. With the exception of the Saw-Whet Owl, no other owl in our area is this small and the latter does not have ear-tufts. Has broad wings and can be mistaken for a bat. 

Plumage: Screech Owls come in two major color morphs, a reddish variant, and a greyish variant. The first variation can be orange, or reddish with white spots, black edges on the face, and white around the center of the face. The grey form has a mottled grey, black, and white pattern with a whitish face, and similar face pattern. 

Size: 16-20cm (6.5-8") Wingspan 40-50cm  (15-20"), Weight: around 180g (6oz) female larger than male 

Calls: This owl's main call is not a screech but is a horse-like whinnying (or like a loon call), with a hollow rattling or trill that is haunting. This call is often the only way to find Screech Owls. The other sounds include mew calls, barks, and a rasp call heard mostly near the nest or young.

Habitat: Mainly mature to old-growth forests, wooded swamps, and various wooded settings like orchards, cemeteries, or rural neighborhoods. Feeds in small clearings, near waterways, or along trails. Most likely to be found in the countryside rather than the city although these owls are probably present in large city parks, or riparian buffers  

 

Nesting: This owl may nest any time of year although most breeding in our area takes place during the late winter or early spring (later than Barred or Horned Owls). This owl mostly nests in woodpecker holes, usually those made by Red Bellied, Hairy, or Downy Woodpeckers, although it may also use tree hollows, caverns, or other sheltered spots. Screech Owls will also nest or roost  in specailized owl boxes or owlery placed in or near forests, as well as ordinary bluebird or starling boxes that had their entrances enlarged by woodpeckers  or squirrels. They may also nest in sheds, old buildings, or objects with a cavity. They raise 2-6 birds per season and rely mostly on insects, voles, and reptiles. 

Hunting: Screech Owls hunt mainly insects, small mice or voles, and reptiles caught on the ground or near trees. They occasionally catch roosting birds such as warblers, sparrows, or thrushes. This owl usually perches low to the ground in a tree or shrub, and pounces on prey. Occasionally catches fish from creeks or streams.  Screech Owls mostly hunt within forests or in small clearings and meadows.

Notes: The Screech Owl is easily one or our most overlooked species and like the Barn Owl it is not very common in our area. While this owl has a niche that no other owl can fill, it is often displaced by the larger Barred or Horned Owl and does poorly in developed areas. Screech Owls may be hard to spot or at times nearly impossible to find during the day, but their loud calls give them away at night. 

Barn Owl

Tyto alba

The Barn Owl is the least common of the four breeding species and has declined rapidly in North America and Europe due to rodent poisons, loss of nest sites (many rely on barns, bridges, and other structures), and competition with larger owl species. Barn Owls can still be found in rural and urban sections of the Carolinas where they are occasionally seen during the daytime as they hunt for rodents over grassland or marsh. Like the Screech Owl, this owl roosts in cavities or buildings and is often overlooked. The Barn Owl is present in most of the Northern Hemisphere although the Eurasian, and African populations are of different subspecies and have been split into separate species by some groups (same is the case for the Winter/Common Wren, Barn Swallow, or Common Raven). Learn More at All About Birds

Description: The Barn Owl is an unmistakable bird that has a ghostly appearance. Adults are slender, long-winged owls with a heart-like face black eyes, and rather long legs. Barn Owls are easily told by their whitish undersides and flat face. Somewhat monkey-like and can be called a pale, and slender Barred Owl of open grasslands. 

Plumage: Adults are brownish or greyish above with amber coloration on the wing. The birds have white wings, bodies, and face and look like no other bird.

Size: 36cm (14"), wingspan 100cm (39.5"), Weight: about 460g (1lb) 

Calls: The Barn Owl makes a loud screaming call that sounds like a person screaming or a yowling cat depending on interpretation. Barred, and Horned Owls make screaming calls but the Barn Owl's scream is particularly haunting.  The birds also make hissing, snarling, or squealing sounds near the nest.

Habitat: Mostly a bird of the countryside where it occupies old farm buildings, bridges, or tree hollows and feeds over pastures, meadows, and marshes. Also nests in church towers, urban high-rises, industrial sites, airport hangers, or other urban sites. Avoids wooded areas entirely.

 

Nesting: Can nest in  any season although the majority of owls breed in the winter. Barn Owls nest within tree hollows, on ledges, beams, or crevices in buildings, and may even find their way into attics or bell towers. This owl can also be hosted with special nest boxes (PVC or wood) or an owlery (structure for nesting owls) placed in an open area or along a woodland edge. Raises 2-5 birds per year. 

Hunting: Barn Owls hunt exclusively mice, rats, and voles and feed mainly in fields, meadows, marshes, or farmyards. They hunt mostly on the wing and are seen circling fields at night (or sometimes in daylight).  

Notes: Barn Owls are rather rare and are declining for a number of reasons. There are still owls around the Wilmington Area with Barn Owls likely around Wilmington International Airport or in many coastal areas such as Fort Fisher. Downtown Wilmington also has old churches and buildings that could be useful for these owls. Barn Owls are likely to be displaced by Great Horned or wintering Short Eared Owls and do not occupy wooded areas. These birds are among our most  valuable mousers and hosting a pair at a farm can eliminate mice and rats that would otherwise ruin cereal or corn stockpiles or devour crops. Listen for this bird's haunting shriek on winter nights, roosting birds are tame.

Short Eared Owl 

Asio  flammeus

Short-Eared Owls are a uncommon and somewhat specalized owl that are found exclusively in open areas. They visit the Carolinas from October to April and  are  most common in the Coastal Regions (including the Cape Fear).  This owl is mostly diurnal but also hunts at night and is roughly equivalent to the Harrier. The Short Eared Owl also follows a similar niche to the Barn Owl and may compete with them.  Learn More at All About Birds

Description: A mid-sized owl with  long wings  and  a flat face with short ear-tufts. Can be mistaken for a Barn Owl except that this bird does not have a white, heart-like face and is not all white. This  owl has yellow eyes rather than black eyes.  Harriers also look similar but are longer-winged and are not flat-faced. 

Plumage: Comes in various colors although most birds are brownish on their back with orange tones, spotting,  and a white or pale underside (some can be yellowish). Barn Owl is similar except  that this bird is not all white, has a darker face and small ear tufts. 

Size: 38-41cm (15-16") Wingspan about 100cm (39.5"), weight 250g (12oz) females larger than male 

Calls: Mostly silent during the winter, this  owl does make a soft hooting call, and various barks. Displaying birds may clap their wings to make a sound like a cracking whip or a stick being snapped. 

Habitat: Found exclusively in open settings  including pastures, airport margins, coastal prairies or dunes, and marshes. Look for this owl perched on fence posts, trees, or on dunes or hills. 

 

Nesting: Breeds  in the Boreal and Tundra regions during the summer months. 

Hunting: Flies low over fields or marshes to catch mice, rats, or voles, similar to the Barn Owl or Northern Harrier. It may hunt in small groups or as pairs. 

Notes: The Short Eared Owl is the fifth owl species that regularly occurs in the Cape Fear Region although it is only a winter resident and is quite rare unless you visit Fort Fisher, Wilmington International Airport, or happen upon one in a pasture or saltmarsh. This owl is the most diurnal of  our owls and is often seen flying during the daytime hours in the winter months.  

Saw-Whet Owl

Aegolius acadicus

The Saw-Whet Owl is a diminutive species of owl that is similar to the Screech Owl and is closely related to the Boreal Owl. This owl lives mostly in boreal forests or other coniferous woodlands in the North or along the Appalachian Corridor (including Western NC). It does migrate and wintering birds are seen in most of the Northeast, Midwest, and lower regions of the Rockies according to the Sibley's guide. However, recent data and bird sightings have shown that Saw Whet  Owls also winter along the Carolina Coast and have been reported in the Cape Fear Region. This owl is now likely more common than previously thought but hard to find and completely silent. Learn More at All About Birds

Description: Small and somewhat robust, this owl is about the same size as the Screech Owl and has a similar look to it. Saw Whet Owls do not have ear tufts and their face, plumage, and profile is like a miniature Barred Owl, except with yellow eyes. It has broad wings and a short tail.

Plumage:  Adults are brown or greyish with spotted wings, a white body with vertical bars, and a white and brown face (like a miniature model of a Barred Owl). Juveniles have orange or amber undersides.  

Size: 16-17cm (6.5-7") Wingspan 38-43cm (15-17"). Weight 80g (2.8oz)

Calls: Mostly silent in the winter. This owl makes a unique song that sounds like someone playing a note on a recorder or flute (often like a G, A, or Bb note). This call is repeated in succession and is heard at night during the spring or summer. The owl may also produce catlike screeches, or mew calls.  

Habitat: In its normal range, Saw Whet Owls are found mainly in wilderness areas with old-growth spruce, fir, hemlock, or pine trees or a  mix of hardwood and coniferous trees near peatlands or ponds. In the winter, they can be found in wooded areas, or dense evergreen thickets  (junipers, red cedars, wax myrtles, yaupon holly, etc), in maritime or inland settings.  

 

Nesting: Breeds in the Far North, Rocky or Appalachian Mountains in coniferous forests. They nest in tree holes and are similar to the Screech Owl in breeding cycle. 

Hunting: Hunts insects or small rodents in forest clearings, meadows, or peatlands like the Screech Owl.

Notes: This owl can be difficult or impossible to find during the winter as it roosts in dense cover, is silent, and well camouflaged. Like the Screech Owl, Saw Whet Owls are often found by accident and may be more common in our area during the winter than previously suspected. 

Long Eared Owl

Aiso otus 

The Long Eared Owl is a mid-sized owl that is the same size as the Barn and Short-Eared Owl and is a rare and very furtive species that is highly migratory. It breeds  in the Boreal Region, Northeast, and in the Midwest/Mountain West but winters as far  south as the Carolinas and Southwest. This owl is a rare occurrence in the Carolinas but like the Saw Whet Owl, may be overlooked. Long-Eared Owls are strictly nocturnal, roost in dense conifers or evergreens, but feed over open areas. Look for this owl between November and April, especially during irruption years (when scarcity of food brings birds further south than usual. Learn More at All About Birds

Description: This owl is a slender and somewhat strange-looking bird with the features of a Barn Owl. It perches upright with its long wings and slim body distinguishing it from any other species. The owl also has  catlike ear tufts and a round or heart-like face with yellow eyes. Way smaller than the Great Horned Owl. 

Plumage: Long Eared Owls are cryptically patterned but have very striking color theme. Adults are  reddish brown or orange with a mottled or checker-board like pattern on their body, an orange face with brown  and white center, and pale underwings. 

Size: 36cm (14"), Wingspan 90cm (35.5") Weight: 260g (9oz)

Calls: Mostly silent in the winter. Gives a series of low hooting calls with 3-second spaces, and also makes barking calls. Like the Short Eared Owl, it will clap its wings to produce a whip-like snap during courtship or warning displays. 

Habitat: Mostly a bird of the countryside. It occupies habitats with copses or windbreaks with conifers or evergreens, as well as hedgerows. Pastures, marshes, and coastal areas are possible spots to find this owl.

 

Nesting: Breeds in the  Midwest,  Northeast, and Mountain West.   

Hunting: Hunts nocturanlly for mice, rats, or voles by flying low over fields, hedges, or marshes, similar to the Barn Owl. It stays closer to cover than the Short Eared Owl based on field guide descriptions. 

Notes: Another rare and possibly underreported species. Long Eared Owls are so well camouflaged and secretive that one would have to stumble upon one or catch it while it was feeding. They stay in dense evergreen vegetation and may be found in small groups or individually. Assume all eared owls are Great Horned Owls until proven otherwise as this larger species will overlap. 

Snowy Owl 

Nyctea scandiaca (Bubo scandiacus)

The Snowy Owl is presumably our rarest owl that visit the Carolinas (ignoring the Saw Whet, Long Eared Owl) and the 2013-2014 winter brought many birds to our area. This is our heaviest and most powerful owl with only the Great Grey Owl being larger in length. This bird is unmistakable as adults are all white while juveniles have grey bars and a white a pure face. Snowy Owls are the same  size as the Great Horned Owl but lack ear tufts. This is the owl featured in Harry Potter books and films so it is very familiar to people outside of the ornithological or birdwatching circle. Learn More at All About Birds

Description: Snowy Owls are large, long-winged owls that have the same overall profile of a Horned Owl. This bird lacks ear tufts, and is a robust bird with yellow eyes. Plumage is distinctive. In flight the owl has long wings  and a short tail, making it easy to mistake it for a gull, although the flat face is distinctive. 

Plumage: Adults are all white with dark spots on the wing. Juveniles are white or grey with horizontal bars and mottled wings with a white face.  No other bird this size has this color pattern and the Barn Owl is way smaller.  

Size: 63-76cm  (25-30"), Wingspan 4-6ft (1.2-1.8m), Weight: 1.8kg (4lb), Females larger than males

Calls: Mostly silent although this owl does produce a long scream during disputes or stress. 

Habitat: Breeds in the Arctic Tundra and may winter in meadows, peatlands, or farmland. In the Carolinas Snowy Owls are most likely to be found in mown or ploughed fields, on beaches, at airports, or near urban areas (often on buildings adjacent to parking lots or open space).

 

Nesting: Breeds in the Arctic regions  including Northern Alaska, Siberia, Northwest Passages, Greenland, and Nordic Europe. 

Hunting: Traditionally hunts lemmings or snowshoe hares although it will take a wide range of prey items including sizeable birds like geese, ptarmigan, or seabirds. In our area, visitors may hunt mice, rats, voles, or waterfowl as well as other prey opportunities. 

Notes: First reported in the Cape Fear Region during the winter of 2013-2014 after a crash in Lemming populations brought Snowy Owls as far south as Georgia. One was reported near the ILM  Airport, in open areas in Wilmington and on Wrightsville Beach. Snowy Owls are not adapted to warmer climates and a warm day (15-20C or 59-68F) could be enough to overheat these Arctic predators. These birds have layers of down to keep them warm in subzero temperatures.    

Burrowing Owl 

Athene cunicularia

I added in the Burrowing Owl because one bird was  reported on Masonboro Island (near Wrightsville Beach) in 2016. This is another small owl species that exist in two populations. The Florida Burrowing Owl is a year-round resident in Florida and is declining due to human development, while the Western population lives in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain Regions. These owls live in burrows, hunt mainly rodents or insects, and  forms colonies. Learn More at All About Birds

Description: Smallish with long legs, short, broad wings, and a round head with no ear tufts. It has yellow eyes and looks less like an owl than the other examples. 

Plumage: Adults are brownish or grey with horizontal bars, and spotted wings. They have brown faces with white chins. 

Size: 23-24cm (9-9.5") Wingspan 50-53cm (19.5-21"). Weight: 155g (5oz)

Calls: Makes a nasal cooing call that is similar to a Common Ground Dove or Collared Dove. The birds  also make rasps, screams, and barks.   

Habitat: Grasslands such as prairies, fallow fields, golf courses, and airport margins. Our bird remained in Coastal Prairie and dune habitats, open beaches, and a jetty on Masonboro Island.  

 

Nesting: Breeds in colonies in Florida or  in the Great Plains and Western US into Mexico. 

Hunting: Hunts rodents, insects, and other prey at night, mostly by flying low to the ground or  running.  

Notes: While the Burrowing Owl sighting may have been a stray bird from the Florida population, it  survived for most of 2016 (arriving in the winter of 2015). Coastal grasslands might offer habitat for these birds as it offers similar features to prairie or agrarian habitats. Burrows such as those made by Prairie Dogs or in Florida, Gopher Tortoises are important for roosting and nesting habitats. 

References 

1. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior by David Allen Sibley, 2001
2. Sibley Guide to Eastern Birds, second edition,  by David Allen Sibley, 2016
3. eBird.org: for New Hanover County bird sighting data