What Do Owls Eat?

The barn owl has been noted to mainly feed on mice, rats, voles, lemmings, and insects. They also consume a vast range of insects.

• This owl species is mostly found in wide distribution in open parts of the United States and Canada.
• It primarily inhabits forest strips, deserts, ranchlands, suburbs, cities, marshes, agricultural lands, and woodlots.

African Grass owl prefers feeding on rodents, birds, large insects, and bats.

• This owl species is found in a vast range of African countries including Botswana, Angola, Kenya, Congo, Malawi, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, South Africa, and Burundi.
• Its central habitat regions include Savannah, inland wetlands, shrubland, and grassland.

Northern saw-whet owl mostly feeds on small mammals such as shrews, moles, and mice. It also supplements its diet with birds, insects, and intertidal invertebrates such as isopods.

• This owl species is notable for its cat-like face and yellow eyes.
• It mostly inhabits forests, shrub-steppe, savannah, deciduous woody areas, and coniferous swamps.

Long-eared owl mostly predates on small rodents. During winter, it feeds on small birds.

• This owl species has a vast distribution, but it is not well known.
• It mostly inhabits areas with dense trees, meadows, groves of deciduous trees, and conifers, and streamside groves found in the desert.

The diet of snowy owls primarily consists of mammals such as hares and lemmings, and birds such as geese and songbirds.

• Matured snowy owls typically eat 3 – 5 lemmings a day, making their annual consumption of the mammal over 1500!
• Unlike other birds of prey, snowy owls do not consume carrion – they only eat animals that they kill themselves.
• According to many studies, owls tend to not migrate from their habitat if they find that there are enough lemmings in the arctic tundra.
• Snowy owls can kill prey as big as eiders, a type of large sea duck.
• After noticing their prey, snowy owls fly towards it and clutch the animal with their talons.

The great horned owl is a bird of prey. The great horned owl’s diet is primarily made up of medium-sized animals such as skunks, hares, and geese.

• Unlike many other species of owl, the great horned species does not migrate – it stays within a 10 km² range of its hunting grounds.
• The great horned owl has the most varied diet out of all raptors located in North America.
• Although they usually hunt at night (they are nocturnal), the great horned owl sometimes looks for food during daylight hours.
• Compared to other species of owls, the great horned species are efficient in catching their prey. Thanks to the special feathers on their wings that help them fly silently.
• The great horned owl has been documented to eat even small cats and dogs!

The preferred food of the burrowing owl is small insects such as grasshoppers and beetles, although they will settle for small to medium-sized mammals, including voles, squirrels, and more.

• Burrowing owls usually live in places with a high density of their favorite foods – these locations include grasslands, deserts, and agricultural fields.
• Female burrowing owls usually hunt during daylight hours while males look for food at dusk.
• Another difference between the hunting patterns of the two genders involves the type of food they look for – the males kill mammals, and the females hunt insects.
• As this species of owl is not nocturnal, they hunt at all times of the day and night.
• When the burrowing owl becomes tired during one of their hunting sessions, they take a break by resting at a dirt mound.

The screech owl’s diet ranges from small insects and other invertebrates to medium-sized mammals, birds, and reptiles.

• If there seems to be an abundance of prey in the area, screech owls usually stash the unneeded food in tree hollows.
• The screech owl consumes many types of birds, including swallows, finches, doves, and more.
• As a swift and nimble bird of prey, the screech owl is capable of hunting bats and others of the same species.
• The male bird of the family usually brings food to the female and chicks.
• Like most other species of owls, this species regurgitates their food in the form of an oval pellet.

The diet of the barred owl varies immensely; they eat just about every type of animal in the kingdom Animalia, from mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates.

• Barred owls usually eat small to medium-sized mammals, but they will settle for birds and tiny insects if there is no other choice.
• Although it is difficult to be specific, a few scientists believe that barred owls have a vision that is eight times greater than a human’s.
• Compared to other owl species, barred owl’s eyes are on the front of the head as opposed to each side of its head. This anatomical structural advantage helps to hunt efficiently than the rest of the owl species.
• Also, the barred owl has an excellent hearing ability, and it helps to detect the prey quickly, which is hiding in snow during the winter months.
• Even though the barred owl is nocturnal, this species sometimes feed on their prey during daylight hours too.

Different hunting techniques are used by owls when it comes to finding their prey.

• One strategy they use is using strategic flights. In this strategy, the owls make quartering flights identify the location of prey. Once a target is identified, the owl flies towards it and proceeds to capture it by surprise.
• Another technique that some owls use is hunting from perching. In this approach, the owl will perch on a low branch and wait for prey to appear. Once a target unveils itself, the owl flies down to capture it aided by its open wings and sharp talons positioned forward.
• Other owl species which hunt fish will find them by skimming over water to spot unsuspecting victims and proceed to snatch them.

Most owl species are nocturnal.

• This means that they are active at night and will thus be found foraging for food and eating during nightfall.
• Few species are diurnal and will thus be active and look for food during daylight hours.

Owls, with the example of barn owls, eat about 3-4 ounces a day.

• This eating behavior can be attributed to their high metabolism rate. As such, owls need to eat quite frequently to realize their daily energy requirement.
• Larger species have slower metabolism compared to their smaller counterparts, which implies they will feed on a reduced amount of food every day.

A limited number of organisms predate on owls given that these birds are on the top of their food chain.

• However, depending on their size, habitat, and species, some predators that consume owl eggs and nestlings include snakes and stoats.
• Other predators include common buzzards, some owl species, falcons, lanners, kites, and some eagle species.

Owls are essential to the animal food chain especially when considering their role as prey and predators.

• They help regulate the local population of the organisms they feed on, thus, preventing overpopulation in their ecosystem.
• They are also a good source of nutrition for organisms that depend on them as food.