Eastern Screech Owl
The little pint-sized nocturnal owls live in tree cavities and nest boxes. With a lifespan of about 14 years, they mate for life. At 5 oz, the male is smaller than the 8-oz female but is a better flier and hunter. Screech owls eat a variety of food including insects, earthworms, frogs, and lizards, as well as small mammals such as rats, mice, squirrels and rabbits. They will also catch and eat songbirds. Their natural predators include larger owls, skunks, raccoons, crows, and blue jays.
The most common coloration of screech owls is grey, called grey morph; however, occasionally, a red morph arrives in rehabilitation, such as the owl below.
 In our area, screech owls begin nesting in mid-February with the female laying 2-6 eggs that are incubated for 30 days. The chicks are covered in white down with closed eyes. They will be ready to fledge (leave the nest) in another 30 days, or sometime in April.
Screech owls are becoming more and more scarce because of the loss of trees for nesting due to development. They readily accept nest boxes with the same owl couple returning to the box each year. You can download plans for a screech owl nest box here. Be sure to mount the box by mid-February between 10-30 feet high in a tree that is at least as wide as the box. The air space in front of the nest box should not have obstructed flight lanes, i.e., trim any small branches away from the front of the nest hole such that the parents have straight flights in and out of the box. Also, in Texas, placing the box on the east side of the tree trunk helps keep the nest cooler from the late spring evening sun. Before nesting season begins in mid-February, put 3-4 inches of wood shavings (not sawdust) in the bottom of the box. Wood shavings can be purchased at most hardware or pet stores.
We’ve discovered a live camera on a screech owl box in the Austin/Jollyville area. The occupant of the nest box is a grey-morph female named Olivia, whose mate is Alton. Several days ago while we were watching the live stream, Olivia, who had been sleeping in her box all day, jumped into the entrance hole and sat there surveying the area for at least two hours. Once it became dark outside, she departed and has not returned as of this writing. She is probably out with Alton. Until Olivia returns, there are several prerecorded videos on You Tube showing the adventures of Olivia, Alton, and the Squirrel. You can find the live stream at YouTube under Jollyville Screech Owl here.
(Our thanks to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and The Owl Pages for information in preparing this article.) |
