The Tiny Elf Owl

Elf owls can be found in the Sonoran Desert, mainly around areas with water or with plenty of saguaro cactus. They feed primarily on invertebrates such as moths, crickets and scorpions. They are also the smallest owl in the Sonoran Desert on average only 5 inches tall and weighing 1 to 1.5 ounces.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Unmoveable Owl Eyes

Owls are unable to move their eyes in the sockets because of the size and tubular shape.

 Picture from The Sunny Girl

To compensate the fact that they are unable to move their sockets, they have a long flexible neck which enables them to turn their head 270° in either direction horizontally and at least 90° vertically. 

Snowy Owls in Missouri?

The large and powerful snowy owl is best known in its Arctic tundra summer home of northern Alaska, Canada, and Eurasia. Like all snowy owls, North American birds are nomadic and usually migrate as far south as southern Canada each winter in search of food. However, during the annual Christmas Bird Count this year participants have counted over a dozen snowy owls in Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa; an incredibly high number so far south.

Snowy Owl at Smithville Lake 12/2011. Courtesy Missouri Dept. of Conservation

Being as we at the Jungle Store are located in the Kansas City area, this is exciting news for local birdwatchers. Seeing a single snowy owl wintering this far south is extremely rare, and this year alone three have already been spotted in the Smithville Lake area just north of Kansas City.

As carnivores, snowy owls tend to move whenever food becomes scarce. Their primary food source in the Arctic is the lemming, an animal that is notorious for experiencing huge population booms and declines every four years. Missouri conservationists believe that this southward migration has to do with a lemming population crash in the north, as snowy owls haven’t been seen in this area in several years.

Although they’re not native residents, it is a treat to catch a glimpse of these massive owls in our own backyards for a short while.

The Great Horned Owl

As the leaves start to change and autumn begins to arrive in North America, one of the most common and haunting woodland sounds is the mating call of the great horned owl.

Photo: Arthur Morris

Though they can be heard as year-round residents throughout North and South America, great horned owls begin calling to potential mates as early as October in North America. The mating call is slightly quicker than the usual “ho-ho-hoo hoo hoo” call heard at other times and is often done as a duet, with the higher-pitched female’s call overlapping that of her mate’s.

Because they are nocturnal, great horned owls are heard much more often than they are seen. They are quite intimidating birds in both size and appearance, with five foot wingspans and large, yellow eyes.

Great horned owls are fearsome hunters that prey on a large variety of animals including rabbits, birds, other owls and even reptiles as large as small alligators! With spectacular binocular vision and superb hearing that can pinpoint the location of sounds, great horned owls are perfectly adapted to hunting at night. Their massive talons have over three times more crushing strength than a human’s hand, allowing them to take prey much larger than themselves.

Flying Squirrels - Animal Hang Gliders

Despite their name, flying squirrels not actually capable of powered flight. Instead, they use a furry patch of skin between their wrists and ankles as a sort of parachute, allowing them to glide hundreds of feet between trees.

There are 44 species of flying squirrel spread throughout almost every temperate climate in the world. Though habitats vary by species, most can be found in woodland areas where tall trees can help the squirrels avoid ground-based predators.

Unlike ground squirrels and tree squirrels, flying squirrels are almost completely nocturnal. This behavior is one of necessity as they are unable to escape from large birds of prey such as hawks and eagles during the day. However, they are still exposed to predation from several species of owls at night.

Flying squirrels are omnivorous and vary their diet based upon what is available. Common food sources include many types of nuts, fungi and berries as well as small insects and bird eggs. Like all squirrels, flying squirrels do not hibernate and can live in dens of up to 50 individuals during cold winter months, usually in hollowed out trees or abandoned bird nests.

Cuban Screech Owls' Naked Legs

Cuban screech owls stand out amongst the more than 200 owl species because they don't have feathers that go down to their toes. Instead, they have featherless feet because of the warm, tropical climate that they live in. In fact, their naked appendages look like legs, but they are actually just their feet.

The Generalists

Last night, as I contemplated which generalist's story I would tell next, I heard a low-pitched, haunting sound coming through the sparse trees across the street. We have a train crossing a few miles from us, and I love the occasional whistle, especially on a chill and starry night. But this noise was not a train.

In my very suburban neighborhood, there are at least two Owls and they call to each other in the night. I'm pretty sure they are Barred Owls, although I haven't gotten a good look at them. Text books say that Barred Owls can only survive in "old-growth forests," but in the last few years, these owls have rewritten those text books. The largest population of Barred Owls currently inhabits the city of Charlotte, North Carolina. Scientists have tried to determine why and found a rather obvious answer, one the owls hit on years ago. A Barred Owl's preference for old-growth forests is two-fold. First the trees are mature enough to offer holes to nest in. Second, the dense upper canopy keeps the under canopy bare and stunted. Barred owls hunt by sight. They sit in a tree branch and wait for something to move under them. Little or no undergrowth helps in the owl's success, so an old-growth forest makes sense.

Now think of your well-established suburban/urban neighborhood. For our pleasure we line our streets with oaks and elms, watering and nurturing them for size and breadth of branches. Underneath these stately trees, we weekly mow our lawns, providing broad swaths of close-clipped sod. We also provide bird feeders full of seed, and well-mulched flower beds—enticements to small birds and rodents. You've got to think that when the Barred Owls were driven from the old-growth forests and winged their way into our cities, they must have been well pleased. I love having these owls as my neighbors. I'm sure they are helping to curb the rabbit and mice populations and they seem contented as I've heard them, off and on, over the last three years. What I love most about having them nearby, is that they add mystery to an otherwise very middleclass world.

The Generalists

Did you guess? Do you remember the question? I'd asked which animal relies on huge urban pigeon populations to help it survive in the city.

The answer is the Peregrine Falcon. Now I know you might be saying "Hold on there, Jungle Jane. I remember in the 1970s the Peregrine Falcon was critically endangered and extinct on the East Coast of the United States. True generalists don't get critically endangered, they thrive!"
And I would say, "You're right, unless the animal in question was driven to near extinction by humans." Now that the U.S. and other countries have banned the use of the pesticide DDT, the Peregrine Falcon is making an amazing comeback. And one of the places they are coming back to is the city.

Since humans were responsible for the Peregrine's decline, humans took responsibility for their resurgence. Captive breeding programs were started and achieved success. However, when it came time to release the fledglings, there was another problem. Natural habitats for falcons are mountain ranges, river valleys and coastlines. But the falcon's natural enemies, foxes, owls, and raccoons, also inhabit these areas. Where would the fledglings have the high, cliff-like habitat they preferred, but without the threat of predation? Cities became the answer. Falcons could perch and nest on skyscrapers and cathedrals. And since a peregrine's preferred food is medium-sized birds it can catch on the wing, the hope that they would become a natural deterrent to the overwhelming pigeon population was a bonus. Currently, successful nesting pairs of Peregrine Falcons can be found in cities across the United States, Canada and Europe. Wild falcons are also enjoying the abundance of an urban habitat, and in 1999 the Peregrine Falcon was officially removed from the Endangered Species list. The Peregrine's population has continued to grow and among city dwellers, it has become a mark of distinction to live, work or worship in a building that is graced by the presence of a Falcon.

Photo courtesy of Philip MacKenzie

Owlwise

In literature Owls are often considered to be wise. Some cultures have believed they warn of death and doom. If you lived at Hogwarts, they deliver your mail. I guess what this says is that they fascinate us. Part of it, I’m sure, is how it looks like their heads are on a swivel. They can turn their head 135 degrees, so can really look over their own shoulder.

Did you know that in the US and Australia, it is illegal to own a native owl? There are exceptions for those who have falconry and rehabilitation licenses.

In Houston, Minnesota they actually hold an International Festival of Owls. There they will even feature owl themed food – click here to see some samples.

There are over 200 species of owls. They live on all continents except Antarctica.

People talk about an owl hooting or calling “who, who, who?” But that’s not all they say. Go to the page below and you can listen to all kinds of owl sounds. Discover how different species of owls make different sounds at this site: http://www.owlpages.com/sounds.php



Jungle Jane