Unlike most owls, the Short-eared Owl hunts during the day, mostly at dawn and dusk. They fly low over the ground looking and listening for movement from their prey of small mammals such as voles and mice. Short-eared Owls are also unusual in that they build their own nest by scraping the ground into a bowl and lining it with grass and soft feathers.
They lay cream or white eggs. These owls are not very vocal but during courtship, the males will make about a dozen hoots and they may bark, whine or scream when defending the nest. This tiny owl is only about the size of a robin. Northern-Saw-whet Owls have small bodies with large round heads.
They are mottled brown with a white face, spotted head, and yellow eyes. They are nocturnal and live in dense forests hunting small mammals, especially mice. They nest in tree cavities that have been left from other species, such as Pileated Woodpeckers.
They do not add any other nesting material and instead lay their eggs directly on the debris. Table of Contents show. The 8 Species of Owl in New Jersey.
Barn Owl. Eastern Screech Owl. Great Horned Owl. Snowy Owl. Barred Owl. Long-eared Owl. Short-eared Owl. Northern saw-whet Owl. The barred owl is a large fluffy-looking owl with brown barring on the upper breast and brown streaking on the lower breast and belly. The round head lacks ear tufts and the eyes are dark brown.
The barred owl occurs throughout the eastern United States north to southern Canada and south to the Gulf Coast and Florida. It is a year-round resident does not migrate that is widely distributed throughout wetland forests in southern New Jersey and riparian woodlands in northern New Jersey. In the Pine Barrens region, barred owls are restricted to Atlantic white cedar swamps and mixed hardwood swamps.
These owls require mature wetland woods that contain large trees with cavities suitable for nesting. Barred owls typically shun human activity by avoiding residential, agricultural, industrial, or commercial areas. In southern New Jersey, barred owls inhabit both deciduous wetland forests and Atlantic white cedar swamps associated with stream corridors.
In northern New Jersey, barred owls inhabit hemlock ravines and mixed deciduous wetland or riparian forests. Barred owls prefer flat, lowland terrain and avoid rocky slopes and hillsides.
The diet of the barred owl consists predominantly of small mammals but may also include reptiles, amphibians, insects, or small birds. Prey items are swallowed whole and are later regurgitated as pellets of undigested bones, fur, and feathers.
This amazing bird has a grip strength that can easily sever the spine of large prey, and requires a force of 28 pounds to open back up. Scientific name : Asio otus Length: These owls are most comfortable roosting in dense foliage. Though they enjoy the woods for roosting, they need wide-open areas for hunting.
The Long-eared Owl can be found in all of New Jersey, but only in the non-breeding season. The ear tufts on its head that give the Long-Eared owl its name are not its only distinguishing feature. The male owl has a call that can be heard 1 kilometer just over half a mile away. The Long-Eared Owl is an efficient hunter, with hearing so precise it can snatch insects in pitch darkness.
They are extremely elusive animals but can be spotted by looking for their pellets on the ground. All owls have distinctly shaped pellets. In the winter, when they roost in groups, they may also be easier to spot. Scientific name : Asio flammeus Length : Short-eared Owls prefer open fields and grasslands, and have adapted well to humans by moving into airports as well, as the planes coming in for a landing displace insects for the owl to swoop up and catch.
Short-eared Owls soar silently over grasslands on broad, rounded wings and are most active around dawn and dusk. They use their incredibly acute hearing to track and hunt small mammals and other birds. Short-eared Owls are capable of traveling long distances, as shown by their distribution , and there have even been reports of these owls descending on ships hundreds of miles from land.
Short-eared Owls are found throughout the entire state of New Jersey in the non-breeding season only. They are known to live in clusters and even share roosts! Since Long-eared Owls can be incredibly hard to see, the best way to locate them is to listen!
During the mating season, males are quite talkative. Scientific Name: Asio otus. Snowy Owls are one of the most stunning animals on the planet! Their white plumage stops almost everyone in their tracks, both birders and non-birders alike! Although they are mostly white, they have horizontal dark lines all over their bodies except the face and breast.
Interestingly, individuals seem to get whiter with age. Snowy Owls migrate with the changing seasons. During summer, they mate and breed in northern Canada on the tundra. But when winter arrives, these birds come south. Females rarely hoot, but other noises for both sexes include cackles, shrieks, hissing, and bill snapping. Scientific Name: Bubo scandiacus. Here are a few books and resources you can purchase that will provide assistance!
Links below take you to Amazon. Bird Watching HQ. To learn more about other raptors near you, check out these guides! Owls That Live in New Jersey 1.
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