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02.08.2020 Animal of the week: Owl

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Hi everyone,

This week's blog post is all about owls.

Habitat

There are many different types of owl: barn owls, long-eared owls, snowy owls and lots more. Different species live in different places. Here are a few examples. Snowy owls live in the Arctic. Great grey owls live in pine forests. Elf owls live in deserts. There are about 130 different species of owl. Owls can be found everywhere in the world apart from Antarctica. Owls live in trees, holes in the ground, barns and caves. Most owls do not migrate in winter.

Diet

Owls eat insects, spiders, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds and small mammals. What they eat the most depends on the type of owl and where it lives. Screech owls feed mostly on insects. Barn owls mainly eat mice, shrews and voles. Eagle owls eat hares and young foxes. Some owls can even fish like the Asian Fish Owl. Even though some species prefer a certain type of food, most owls will eat whatever they can find.

Dangers

The poisons used to kill rats and mice stay in the animal's bodies. When an owl then eats the rodent, it gets poisoned too.
Vehicles are also a problem. Owls sometimes fly low over roads while hunting and then get hit by a passing vehicle. Owls may also kill by the side of a road and then be vulnerable.
Fences are a danger to owls that feed in open spaces. The owls can get caught in the fences. This can lead to broken bones, damaged feathers, strangulation or starvation.
All birds are vulnerable to habitat loss including owls. Some owls need old hollow trees to nest in and bring up babies. Removing old buildings is problematic as well because the new structures are not as safe for owls. 


I hope you enjoyed learning about owls. For further reading and conservation work: https://theowlstrust.org/


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