Owls of Arizona: Silent Hunters of the Night Sky: Part 2

Summary: Join Cheryl and Kiersten as they continue their discussion of the owls found in Arizona.

 

For our hearing impaired listeners, a transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean.

 

Show Notes:

www.avibirds.com/owls-of-arizona/

 

www.a-z-animals.com/blog/true-owls-vs-barn-owls-what-are-the-diffrences/

 

Owling: Enter the World of the Mysterious Birds of the Night, by Mark Wilson

 

Liberty Wildlife:

(480)998-5550

2600 E Elmwood St. Phoenix, AZ 85040

https://Libertywildlife.org

Background bird song:  Naturescapes Backyard Birds www.naturescapes.com

Our email address, please reach out with comments, questions, or suggestions: thefeathereddesert@gmail.com

 

Transcript

 

Host Voice: Welcome to The Feathered Desert a podcast all about desert bird feeding in the Southwest region of the United States. (Various bird calls play)

 

Cheryl: Intro-Welcome to Owls of Arizona part two.  So, it does bears repeating that Arizona with it diverse landscapes and abundant wildlife is home to 13 different species of owl.  In part one we covered only four owls, and we are going to cover the other nine in this podcast, and Kiersten has our first one.

 

Kiersten: Western Screech Owl

A well camouflaged owl with large ear tufts and streaked plumage in a variety of brown or gray.  They are about 7-10 inches in height.  These owls weigh about 3.5-10.8 ounces and have a wingspan 21-25 inches across.  Western Screech Owls occur all across the western states in U.S., and their range extends down into Central America. 

They live in forests, open woodlands, deserts, shrublands, and open fields in the countryside.  You may find them in your local park.  They nest in tree holes and in cacti in desert regions.  These non-migratory owls will often reuse nest sites for years.  Western Screech Owls are active from dusk, through the night, into the dawn.  They are opportunistic predators; if they can catch it- they will eat it, but their prey is mainly rodents, birds, and insects. 

Deforestation and development are threatening the habitats for these owls.  These owls have a whistling call and a high-pitched screech.  The song of the Western Screech Owl is a series of descending hoots.

 

Cheryl: Northern Saw-Whet Owl

The Northern Saw-Whet owl is one of the smallest and most adorable owls on the continent.  It has a large round head and a compact body.  Its plumage is a rich brown with small white spots on the upper parts and blotchy white streaks below.  The facial disc is paler brown, and it has a white Y-shape from the brows to the bill, between its huge yellow eyes.  This owl is 7-9 inches in height.  It weighs 2.2-5.4 ounces and the wingspan is 17-22 inches across.

They inhabit coniferous forests.  During the winter, they also take to deciduous or mixed woodlands.  They nest in tree holes excavated by woodpeckers or in the old nests of other birds.  They are nocturnal owls with exceptional hearing, and can detect prey purely by sound.  Their diet consists mainly of rodents, but will prey on small birds, bats, amphibians, and insects.  May cache mice for the winter.

Although, fairly common these owls are hard to spot.  In Arizona, they are more numerous in the winter months as northern populations migrate south.  Listen for their call it is a whistly repetitive toots.

 

Kiersten: Long -Eared owl

The Long-eared owl is named for its prominent ear tufts.  It has a dark, patterned plumage which is a mix of brown, gray and buff.  The underparts are buff with dark brown streaks.  Its facial disc is buff with white in the middle.  It has orange-yellow eyes and a grayish-black bill. 

Long-eared owls have a wide distribution across the continent.  Arizona lies within their breeding range.  These owls inhabit forests and woodlands near densely vegetated open areas such as grasslands and shrublands.  They have adapted to semi desert environments where they hunt across dry, open landscapes.   Prey animals for these owls includes cottontail rabbits, red squirrels, bats, small birds, and snakes.

In Arizona, you may see these owls nesting in forks or cavities of Saguaro cacti.  This is a shy elusive owl and is not easy to spot.  It is often misidentified as a Great Horned Owl due to the ear tufts.  The National Audubon Society believes this owl is undercounted in its national Christmas bird counts.  Populations of this species of owl are in decline due to habitat loss.

Long-eared owls have a wide range of vocalizations that vary by region.  The long-eared owl is silent during the winter but often roost communally, making them easier to spot despite their excellent camouflage.  These owls will also roost on the ground.

In Arizona, Long-eared owls may show-up in mass when there are irruptions of mice.

 

Cheryl: Short-eared Owl

Now I put this owl back-to-back with the Long-eared owl because they are often misidentified as each other.  So, the short-eared owl is a medium-size owl about 15-17 inches in height.  It weighs approx. a 1.5 lb. and the wingspan is 38-44 inches across.  It has a rounded head with small ear tufts, hence the name.  Its feathers are mottled brown, buff, and white above and buff below with dark streaks on the breast.  The face is white in the center, with a brown facial disc edged with a pale rim. It’s piercing yellow eyes are encircled by dark eye patches.  (Long-eared owls have rusty-orange feathering round the eyes.)

These owls occur all across North America, with the majority of the population breeding in the north and migrating south for the winter.  So, in Arizona it would be the winter months that we would have an opportunity to see them.

Short-eared owls inhabit large, sparsely vegetated open areas.  They nest on the ground, partially concealed amidst low vegetation.  Unlike other owls, short-eared owls build their own nests.  The female constructs a bowl-shaped nest using grasses, weeds and feathers.  These owls sometimes roost in groups, and on occasion will roost in trees with Long-eared owls.

Short-eared owls eat mostly rodents, especially voles, rats and mice.  They also take birds and nestlings.  These owls breed up in the arctic so the birds they prey on are shorebirds and gulls with the occasional crow thrown in.

These owls are on the decline mainly due to habitat loss.  Look for them in open fields and grasslands around dawn and dusk in the winter.  Unlike the Long-eared owl, the short-eared owl hunts during the day on the ground or flying low to the ground.  They have a floppy bat-like flight.  The short-eared owl is mostly silent in the winter.  Their common call is a raspy bark.

 

Kiersten:  Northern Pygmy owl

The Northern pygmy owl Is a small, plump owl with a large, round head and a fairly long tail.  It is brown above with white spots and white below with dark brown streaks. As with other pygmy owls, it has eye-spots on the back of the neck which may function to deter predators attacking from behind.  This owl has feathered legs down to the toes.  It is 6-7 inches in height.  It weighs 2.1-2.5 ounces and has a wingspan of 12-15 inches across.  This owl has one of the shortest life spans of just 3 years whether in captivity or not.

They are found all across north America and inhabit forest and woodlands.  They nest in tree holes, often excavated by woodpeckers.  Pygmy owls are diurnal, but also hunt at dawn and dusk.  They eat small birds, mammals and insects.  Northern Pygmy Owl is a fierce hunter known to often kill birds and rodents larger than themselves.

These owls are prevalent in the eastern part of Arizona, and since they are active during the day that makes them easier to spot then most owls.  Still these owls largely go unnoticed.  Northern Pygmy Owl migrates in some regions from the higher to the lower elevations in the winter.

The call of the Northern Pygmy Owl is a high-pitched trill or a one note toot.

 

Cheryl: Elf Owl

This tiny raptor is the smallest member of its family in the world.  It is a small sparrow-sized owl.  The plumage of the elf owl is patterned gray-brown and white.  It has a buff-colored face and large, yellow eyes.  Females are more rusty-red in color, and the males are grayer.

Elf Owls are nocturnal and mainly insectivorous, feeding on insects and other invertebrates.  Their prey includes moths, beetles, crickets, and arachnids like scorpions.  They may occasionally take a lizard or a small vertebrate animal. 

Many Elf Owls breed in the southwestern U.S. then migrate south to Mexico for the winter where sedentary populations reside.  Elf owls is comfortable in diverse habitats, including mesquite and paloverde trees along desert washes, mountain pine-oak forests, oak forests, and forests along river and canyon bottoms.  They nest in tree holes of hardwoods and often in the Saguaro cacti.  Look for them in our desert around dusk.  Their voice is loud, and their call a high-pitched whiny or throaty chuckle, or a variety of barks, squeaks and whistles.

 

Kiersten: Burrowing Owl

The Burrowing Owl is an owl we have talked about before in an earlier podcast titled” Burrowing Owls”.  The Burrowing Owl is a small, spotted owl with long gray legs.  Its feathers are brown above and pale below with brown streaks.  It has large yellow eyes, hooded by thick, pale brows. The height of this owl is 7-11 inches, its weight is 4.8-8.5 ounces.  It has a wingspan of 20-24 inches across.  Burrowing Owls are different from other raptors because males and females are the same size. Although, they have a wide, variable diet, they mainly prey on insects and rodents.

These owls hunt at night and during the day.  Females mostly hunt insects during the day whereas males hunt more at night and catch small animals. 

Most Burrowing Owls are sedentary, in their range but those owls that breed in the northern parts of their regions will migrate south during the winter.  They inhabit open grasslands, prairie, and other open areas of golf courses, farm fields, airports, and housing developments.  These owls’ nest and roost in burrows usually made by prairie dogs or ground squirrels, or other burrowing mammals.

This owl has a defensive strategy to mimic the behavior of rattlesnake’s rattling tail.  Burrowing Owls make a rattling or hissing noise to ward off potential threats. 

These owls are endangered due to habitat loss and decline of burrowing mammals.  They are often killed by cars and people’s pet-cats and dogs.  Burrowing Owls are often active during the day and are fairly tolerant of human presence.  This owl has a large range of smooth-sounding musical notes.

 

Cheryl: Spotted owl

The Mexican spotted Owl is medium-size forest owl.  Its height is 18-19 inches and its weight is 1.1-1.7 lbs.  Its wingspan is 42-45inches across.  This medium-size owl has dark eyes set in a large rounded head with no ear tufts.  It has dark brown feathers with white spots.  The spots on the underparts are oblong, giving it a Barred owl appearance. It has a prominent white x-shape on the face against the brown facial disc.  That being stated there are three subspecies of the Spotted owl: the Northwest Spotted Owl, the California Spotted Owl, and the Mexican Spotted Owl.  The Mexican Spotted Owl is the palest of the three in color.  It is also the one only that calls Arizona home.

It must be noted that although the Mexican Spotted owls looks like the Barred owl in appearance the Spotted owl will not be found in any area near barred owls.  Barred owls are highly competitive with Spotted owls.  Barred owls will hunt the Spotted Owl.

In Arizona, the Mexican Spotted Owl may be found in Pinyon Pine woodlands and canyons.  They nest in tree holes, abandoned nests of other birds, cliffs and ledges.  These owls hunt mostly at night and occasionally during the day.  They are essentially ambush predators, and typically hunt from a perch, where they wait for prey to draw close enough to launch a surprise attack.  Their prey is mainly woodrats, squirrels, bats, birds, reptiles, insects and amphibians.  Populations of Mexican spotted Owls are in decline due to destruction of habitat due to drought, development and wildfires.  These owls don’t dissipate body heat very well so they prefer the cooler temps of southeastern mountain ranges in Arizona.  These owls are classified as threatened.  The Mexican Spotted owl may be tricky to find visually.  Listen for its three-part hoot.

 

Kiersten: Ferruginous Pygmy Owl

The Ferruginous Pygmy owl is critically endangered in the United States and is protected under the Endangered Species Act.  This owl is threatened by habitat loss of Saguaro Cacti.  The eradication of Arizona’s cottonwood groves and contiguous Saguaro stands, plus wildfires, drought, and the wall at the state border with Mexico.

A small, round-headed owl with a streaked crown.  It has the false eye spots that all pygmy owls display.  The owl has yellow eyes with black pupils.  The tail is banded with rusty-red bars.  It stands about 6-7 inches in height and weighs 1.6-5.6 ounces.  It has a wingspan of 12 inches across.

These little owls nest almost exclusively in Saguaro cacti cavities.  They can be found in the Sonoran Desert region among their favorite cacti.  They have a woodpecker -like undulating flight pattern and can be spotted during the day as well as at dawn and dusk.

Their prey consists of mice, small birds, scorpions, moths, crickets and grasshoppers.

In 2006 researchers documented only 26 individual owls in the wild in the state of Arizona.  Wild at Heart a non-profit group, began a reintroduction program in 2016.

Their vocalizing is kept to a minimum to not draw attention to their location. So, others small birds won’t mob them and drive them away.  Their call is a quick series of whistled toots.

Cheryl: Spotting Owls

Spotting owls can be tricky since most species are not active during the day.  Owls by nature are shy and elusive creatures.  Here ae some tips:

The best time to see an owl is during the day.  The best time to hear an owl is at night.

Learn about the species of owls in the area you are looking.

Listen -familiarize yourself with the vocalizations of the different owls in your area.  Actively listen when you are out at night.  You will most likely hear an owl before you see it.

Look for signs of owls like their pellets or white washing on trees.

Be respectful- Be still and silent and refrain from using bright lights, so as not to disturb or frighten them away.

Who knew Owls were so Cool?  Who, who the owls knew.