YA RLY
- Thread starter Bob Wills
- Start date
14tokihorn
1,000+ Posts
A Wild Life Rescue Volunteer enlightened me as to the abundance of screech owls around town, Hill Country, etc. If he isn't a screech, (aren't those tufts on top of the head?) maybe a young horned owl.... magnificent birds, either way.
Every winter, some big species shows up here around Lions Golf Course... I mean BIG owls. Kinda cool to walk around the 'hood and follow their hoots... such a low frequency its an art to triangulate which tree one is in.
Every winter, some big species shows up here around Lions Golf Course... I mean BIG owls. Kinda cool to walk around the 'hood and follow their hoots... such a low frequency its an art to triangulate which tree one is in.
Bob Wills
500+ Posts
I'm no expert, but it does appear to be a western screech owl. I hear them quite a bit around here, but this little one caught me by surprise in the middle of the afternoon. They also have one of the most interesting calls as well -- I'll try to record it one evening.
So cool. If you record it can you post it?
The Eagle (right?) in 14's sig line makes me stop and just stare sometimes before moving down a thread. Magnificent. It's a photo, right? Or is it some badass painting? I assume photo.
Birds of prey are amazing. There was a news piece recently about a man who has a business with Falcons taking out or scaring Grackels. He unleashes it and the Falcon takes one out but he recalls the Falcon before it kills it and entices it with a treat it prefers. The Grackels get the message loud and clear and vacate that area and don't come back for some time.
What a cool job.
EDIT: He uses Hawks, not Falcons and it is Grackle, not Grackel. I am too lazy to fix the ones above. Sorry.
The company is Winged Victory.
One of the last pages on his website: The Link
Their youtube page: The Link
The Eagle (right?) in 14's sig line makes me stop and just stare sometimes before moving down a thread. Magnificent. It's a photo, right? Or is it some badass painting? I assume photo.
Birds of prey are amazing. There was a news piece recently about a man who has a business with Falcons taking out or scaring Grackels. He unleashes it and the Falcon takes one out but he recalls the Falcon before it kills it and entices it with a treat it prefers. The Grackels get the message loud and clear and vacate that area and don't come back for some time.
What a cool job.
EDIT: He uses Hawks, not Falcons and it is Grackle, not Grackel. I am too lazy to fix the ones above. Sorry.
The company is Winged Victory.
One of the last pages on his website: The Link
Their youtube page: The Link
LITNIN HORN
1,000+ Posts
Except for the rice owls.
I have screech owls and barn owls around my place...it's a hoot listening to them converse with each other.
Smurfette, I have always appreciated your pair of hooters...
Install an Owl Shack in your backyard, and you're likely to have a pair call it home in the fall through spring and raise a brood of baby owls before they take off. I've had an Owl Shack for years and enjoy looking out the kitchen window every morning and seeing one of them sitting there most days. It's pretty cool when the nestlings get ready to fledge and climb up on the edge in preparation to take off.
BTW, it's probably an Eastern Screech Owl since they are much more common around most of Texas.
BTW, it's probably an Eastern Screech Owl since they are much more common around most of Texas.
If I may ask a dumb question...
How protected are they in their Shack from feral cats that may live in the area? There are a couple to a few in my area and would sure hate to be setting up some Owls for problems, even death. If they are pretty safe from them in that thing and formidable enough to not be at risk I really like this Shack thing.
Also, could I put two in the yard without them fighting or is that a bad idea?
Nevermind. I checked out their FAQ and both questions were answered. I am intrigued.
How protected are they in their Shack from feral cats that may live in the area? There are a couple to a few in my area and would sure hate to be setting up some Owls for problems, even death. If they are pretty safe from them in that thing and formidable enough to not be at risk I really like this Shack thing.
Also, could I put two in the yard without them fighting or is that a bad idea?
Nevermind. I checked out their FAQ and both questions were answered. I am intrigued.
Bob Wills
500+ Posts
Now that I've looked around the interwebs, I think you're right brntorng -- it is a eastern screech owl. The beak is more green than black, but the stripes on the wings threw me off. I also noticed what was attracting the family to the yard -- my neighbor installed a few owl shacks in his trees.
Such a great looking bird!
Such a great looking bird!
accuratehorn
10,000+ Posts
Yes, there are eastern and western screech owls, and the dividing line in Texas is more or less around Big Bend. They look essentially the same, but the calls are different.
If you have much land, or wooded lot, a small owl house nailed up above a barn door or in a tree will probably attract one. I gave an owl house to my employee who lives out in the Jonestown area, and it took a couple of seasons, but one spring he noticed an owl in there, and then every year there has been one, probably the same one.
Feral cats probably won't be getting any owls, they are mean predators, and hunt silently at night.
There are two color morphs of eastern screech owls, the grey and the red. The grey is the more common one.
They are very common in the Austin area, as are great horned owls which are huge in comparison. But you just don't see them very often, as they are nocturnal. If you walk outside at 3 a.m. it would not be unusual to hear one calling in most parts of town, though.
Eastern screech-owl is described as being 8 1/2" in length, whereas the great horned owl is 22" in length. The small owl in the picture would have to be an eastern screech owl if you are around Austin.
If you have much land, or wooded lot, a small owl house nailed up above a barn door or in a tree will probably attract one. I gave an owl house to my employee who lives out in the Jonestown area, and it took a couple of seasons, but one spring he noticed an owl in there, and then every year there has been one, probably the same one.
Feral cats probably won't be getting any owls, they are mean predators, and hunt silently at night.
There are two color morphs of eastern screech owls, the grey and the red. The grey is the more common one.
They are very common in the Austin area, as are great horned owls which are huge in comparison. But you just don't see them very often, as they are nocturnal. If you walk outside at 3 a.m. it would not be unusual to hear one calling in most parts of town, though.
Eastern screech-owl is described as being 8 1/2" in length, whereas the great horned owl is 22" in length. The small owl in the picture would have to be an eastern screech owl if you are around Austin.
J
jmrob93
Guest
I saw an owl drop down and catch a snake crossing the road ahead of us at dark. We surprised him but he never let go and flew off--- snake making a huge yet unsuccessful fight--about 4 footer--skinny like a grass snake.
I was watching the hawks flying above our controlled burn over a month ago--- they were waiting for anything to come running out -- many did well that day--from snakes to rats to rabbits
I was watching the hawks flying above our controlled burn over a month ago--- they were waiting for anything to come running out -- many did well that day--from snakes to rats to rabbits
accuratehorn
10,000+ Posts
I just read on TxBirds birdwatching site that this is the time of year to see owls in the daytime, as the fledglings are leaving the nest, and the parents try to tend to them. So these are mostly going to be juveniles that you see in the daytime.
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