Owl

In the velvet dark of deep
summer nights lit
by the darting glow ·
of · f i r e · f l i e s · amid
the gently swa·ying gras·ses
bushes · trees · and seeming still·ness
comes the call
whoot whoot wooo-hooo
whoot whoot wooo-hooo

Strix Varia, Hoot Owls
perched in trees
listening listening

Hoot Owls
swooping swiftly through
the thick humid air
looking looking
whoot whoot wooo-hooo
whoot whoot wooo-hooo

Midnight dialogues
of monogamous mates
the light and dark bars
of their dense muffling feathers
lit by grandmother moon
shadowed by leafy canopies

Barred Owl’s big
round brown eyes
   l o o k l o o k
shining out from iconic facial discs
those feathers flicking here and there
as tuftless asymmetric ears
   l i s t e n l i s t e n
for the scamper or scurry
of vole · mouse · squirrel
owl survival skills perfected
over some eleven
thousand years

whoot whoot wooo-hooo
whoot whoot wooo-hooo

                            Andrea Schwenke Wyile 

Owl

Nova Scotia becomes a different world in the dark, with unique birdcalls filling the night. This world is where owls can be found, since they are mostly nocturnal (knock-turn-al) birds of prey. Owls come in all shapes and sizes, and they have distinct characters; the Mi’kmaq recognize them as “gu’gu’gwes” (guu-guu-gwes). They have large eyes and ears that face forward, and they can swivel their necks almost 180 degrees, looking behind them without turning around. They are covered in feathers that provide them with warmth and act as a raincoat. Owls also have tails and a curved beak, which they use for hunting and eating.

There are many different species of owls found throughout Nova Scotia, each usually living in mature forests. Barred owls are the most often found. They are grey-brown in colour, and they have a distinct call that sounds like this: “who-who-who-cooks-for-you all.”  Also commonly found in Nova Scotia are the great horned owl, the northern saw-whet owl and the long-eared owl.  Rarely seen are the boreal owl, the short-eared owl, the northern hawk owl and the eastern screech owl.

To identify different owls and their calls check out: 

Owl identification link: https://www.simplywildcanada.com/wild-species/birds-of-canada/owls-of-canada/

Owl calls: https://naturecanada.ca/news/blog/whos-there-identifying-owl-calls/

Life Cycle

Owls have mating pairs and like all birds, they require a nest to lay their eggs.  They don’t usually make their nests, rather they find hollowed trees or abandoned nests of other birds or animals. The male then fertilizes the female’s eggs, and she keeps the eggs warm until they hatch. The female lays about one egg every few days with a nest of one to four eggs, although it can be as high as 12-13 eggs, depending on the species and other environmental factors. Once hatched, the young are dependent on their parents to bring them food; the young stay in the nest until they can fly, anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, depending on the species.

Most owl species, including barred owls, mate for life, while a few species separate once the nest is empty. This happens more commonly in migratory owl species. Owls tend to try to return to the same nesting place year after year.

Migration

Like many birds, some owls migrate during the fall to find warmer weather during the winter. Some of Nova Scotia’s owls are known to migrate from Nova Scotia to the United States, though the great horned owl and boreal owl stay in Nova Scotia year-round.

Diet and Predators

Owls eat a large range of animals that are smaller than the owl itself. This includes rodents (mice, voles, shrews, rats), fish, insects and reptiles. Owls are known to have great eyesight (being able to see well in the dark), and exceptional hearing, so they can hear their prey moving even if they can’t see them. Owls have special wing feathers that help to silence their flight, so they also have the element of surprise in attacking their prey.

Owls can’t chew their food, so they either swallow it whole or tear it into pieces. They store excess food in their nests or a hole in a tree. After they are done consuming their prey, they produce a pellet containing all the material that they can’t digest, such as bones and fur.  These pellets are regurgitated and block the owl from eating again until they are expelled.  The pellets tend to collect in their nests, but occasionally can be found nearby. Scientists dissect these pellets to look at the owl’s diet.

Despite being a bird of prey, small owls are not always on the top of the food chain with larger owl species hunting smaller species. When young, they can also be hunted by mammals like foxes and wolves.

Biomimicry

Owls have long been recognized to have the unique ability of silent flight. Owls can fly overhead without anyone hearing them. Owl wings have a complicated three-dimensional structure that almost eliminates the sounds that are normally produced by bird wings. Scientists have copied this structure and made a coating they are testing on wind turbines. People often do not want wind turbines close to communities due to the noise from the blades. If the coating works as hoped, turbines may even be able to run at higher speeds because the noise would not be so problematic.

(https://www.treehugger.com/wind-technology/owl-wings-inspire-silent-wind-turbine-blades.html)

Tips for Hearing Owls

• Go to a quiet location.
• Talk quietly and keep noise low.
• Be near their habitat.
• Don’t approach areas that may contain owls; this may cause them to leave the area.
• Don’t play owl noises, since this will alarm the owls.
• Do not feed the owl. This is dangerous for the owls as they will become dependent on food from humans.
• Look up owl calls to know what you’re listening for.

Joke One

Person A: Knock Knock

Person B: Who’s there?

Person A: Hey, that’s my line.

Joke Two

What did one owl say to the other? “Who Who!”

                                                                                       Emilie Knighton