Arizona Native Owl Hunting Techniques

Claudia Kirscher

Liberty Wildlife Volunteer

Owls, like other birds of prey have a variety of adaptive hunting techniques and styles.  Owls overall have evolved heightened senses to hear or spot their prey.

The Burrowing Owl is our only owl that lives in underground burrows they have taken over from other animals such as prairie dogs and squirrels, though they can dig or enlarge these on their own. They are primarily daytime hunters having developed long legs enabling them to sprint across open grasslands in pursuit of insects and small rodents. They will also fly after prey.

The Great-horned Owl is a powerful predator that can take a variety of prey, even larger than they are such as skunks, rabbits, or young nestlings of red-tail hawks or eagles. These owls perch and wait, listening and watching for their next meal. They have a facial disc of feathers that, much like the Harrier, funnel sounds to their highly sensitive ears. Their overly large eyes have a high number of cones and rods enabling them to see well in the dark. They have short wide wings for maneuverability in wooded areas. Their feathers are soft, enabling silent flight. They hunt primarily dusk and dawn, but will hunt all night long if needed.

The Northern Pygmy-Owl hunts during dawn, dusk, and occasionally daytime. They are a perch and pounce predator surprising small to medium size birds such as waxwings and chickadees, mice, beetles, moths and small reptiles. They will also raid nests of songbirds and woodpeckers. A powerful little package weighing only 2.5 grams!  They favor coniferous and deciduous forests, but will come down to lower desert and urban elevations during cold winter temperatures. They will sometimes hunt birdfeeders.

Barn Owls are strictly nighttime hunters relying on their highly sensitive hearing as well as sharp eyesight.  They also have a facial disc of feathers that funnel sound to ears on the side of their head. They hunt mainly mice and rats. They have unusually soft feathers, aiding in silent flight.  They soar, glide back and forth, and pounce on prey while hunting, preferring large open grassland or agricultural fields.

The Short-eared Owl hunts during the day.  It flies low over grasslands, coursing back and forth, using sharp eyesight and acute hearing. It too has a facial disc that funnels sound into its ears.  They prey on small mammals such as mice, pocket gophers, bats as well as birds. Its short stubby ear tufts are rarely seen. They are a migratory owl, moving from colder climates in winter to areas with more abundant prey.

Another winter migratory owl is the Long-eared Owl.  It hunts only at night over open grasslands, able to find prey in complete darkness due to its sensitive hearing.  Like the Great-horned Owl it hunts a large variety of prey including mice, rats, gophers, bunnies, small birds, small snakes and insects. During the daytime, they roost in dense foliage, occasionally in a group of other migratory Long-eared Owls, one of the only owls to do this.

The Western Screech Owl is a nocturnal hunter, taking a variety of prey including small mammals, small birds and insects. Prey depends on the season and what is available. It is a sit and surprise pounce hunter but will often engage in flycatcher-like hunting for insects.  They sometimes hunt insects at porch and street lights. They roost and nest in cavities in trees, saguaros, and will even take to nest boxes.

Resources:  Allaboutbirds.org, Audubon.org, Wikipedia.