Nature Connection: Owls Are Everywhere

It’s January, which is another word for owl time. Even here in Hyannis I am hearing great horned owls flirting back and forth in the pre-dawn hours, hoo-hoo-HOO, then the quieter response. They move from tree to tree, once landing in my own backyard in the decades old Norway spruce.

Great horned owls aren’t our only owls, of course. The small screech owl is common enough that many neighborhoods host more than one pair. These small owls whinny or screech rather than hoot. They also come in two distinct plumages, grey or rust. You may see a pair made up of one of each color or two of the same, but the young may come out with a mix of plumages no matter what the parents look like. Think Labrador retrievers or gray squirrels, both of which may give birth to differently colored young.

If you hear a sound like a horse whinnying in your backyard, keep your eyes open for one of these delightful owls. This is a good time of year to put up a special owl house for them but do know that gray squirrels are also happy to live in the new digs and can keep the owls out.

Barred owls have become more common here in the last 20 years or so. Their “whooo cooks for youuuu” call is a tell-tale sign, but I have also found that these lovely owls are much easier to spot in the daylight than some of the others. Although they are not a backyard bird, at least not yet in most cases, look and listen for barred owls in heavily wooded areas.

Barn owls are no longer found on the Cape, at least in any numbers. There is a small population on Martha’s Vineyard, I think, that was watched over and nurtured for many years by a naturalist there, but to my knowledge none remain on the mainland. I would be very happy to be wrong about this.

Snowy owls get a lot of coverage at this time of year. They are strikingly beautiful, are somewhat easy to spot in daylight, and can be somewhat reliable to find in their favorite places. And no, I’m not going to tell you where those are. Unfortunately, in some people’s rush to take and post photos on the internet, wildlife etiquette gets forgotten and the owls have suffered. As a result of several recent owl deaths due to overzealous owl lovers, releasing known locations is no longer encouraged. This doesn’t mean you can’t go look, but if you do, please read up on how to behave if you find one. 

Keeping your distance, keeping quiet and moving slowly are all important. Your phone isn’t going to take a great photo because you will not be able to get close enough. If you don’t have a camera with a big lens, simply take your binoculars and enjoy your sighting. Remember when we didn’t share everything we saw or did? Go back to that time as you gaze upon a wonderful bird that has flown south to try and survive the winter. There are plenty of great photos of snowy owls to enjoy without taking your own. 

Snowy owls try to sleep during the day so keeping them awake and vigilant wastes their energy. Please be mindful, as I’m sure your desire to see one comes from excitement and love, not a wish to harm.

Two other owls of note are Cape visitors in the winter. Short-eared owls are like little ghosts flying low over area marshes at the crepuscular times of day. There are certain spots where they are seen every year, but this year seems to be especially good for sightings in almost every town. Although you may happen on one during bright daylight hours, the best time to see one is very early in the morning or at dusk late in the day. Check your favorite marshes and fields. You never know where one may show up.

The long-eared owl is rare here, but last winter one hung around for quite a while. I haven’t heard reports of one this year, but even though people aren’t sharing owl locations doesn’t mean you won’t find one if you head out on woodland trails, especially on the upper Cape.

We also get northern saw-whet owls, though I believe we see and hear them more in the spring and summer than we do now. These are really small owls with a distinctive call, but like the screech owls, they can sometimes be seen or heard in busy neighborhoods.

Cornell’s All About Birds website has great information on all these owls and also has recordings of their sounds. Their Merlin app for your phone is also helpful, but I must advise you not to play recordings to entice birds to come closer to you. This behavior is frowned upon as it causes birds to respond in alarm, which wastes their energy and distracts them from what they should be doing. Be a good bird neighbor and use recordings discreetly and privately for information and education, not luring in wild birds.

Great horned owls are chatting up a storm these days as they prepare to find mates and nest soon. They don’t build their own nests but take over abandoned hawk nests high in trees where they will lay their eggs next month, if not before, so keep your eyes open for this activity.

Owls are great predators that help control rodent populations. This is why we beg people to not use rat poisons as the poisoned rodent may be eaten by an owl or fed to its young, resulting in sickness and even death of the predator. Instead of using poison, think of ways to invite these beautiful and effective predators into your neighborhood to take care of any pests. Even the smallest owls make big dents in the mouse population, so welcome them where and when you can.