Birds

Kerry Brinkerhoff
Staff Writer

I have always had an impassioned curiosity of owls. Native Americans often saw them as messengers of death or as energetic creatures with mystical powers. In our culture they are often portrayed as animals of great wisdom. Owls are indeed very fascinating animals, and many distinct types inhabit in our locality.

Owls are night animals that have unique features to help them get around in the dark. Their eyes are very large in order to take in any small amount of light helping them to see well in the dark. With their eyes in front of their head the two eyes overlap what each sees. In this way owls can judge how far away an object is, how fast it is moving and what size it is. An owl can move its head more than halfway around its body in both directions, but not quite all the way around. In this way it can turn its head far enough to see what is behind it. Owls have three sets of eyelids. They have an upper eyelid which covers the eye when they blink, a lower eyelid which meets the upper eyelid which they close together when they sleep, and then a third eyelid which covers from top side to bottom side. This thin lid protects, cleans and moistens the owls eyes.

They are hunters and can pick out a mouse in a pitch dark night. Owls have a slit on each side of their heads which opens into a large ear canal. The owl has a flap of skin over the ears which they can open or shut. Their rings of feathers around their faces help to bring sound into the owl's ears making it possible to hear the slightest sound. Owls have one ear that is above the other. They use this to pinpoint exactly where sounds are coming from. If there is a mouse moving in the darkness the owl will pick up the sound in one ear before the other. When the sound is picked up with one ear the owl will position his head to pick up the sound with the second ear. When the sound hits the second ear the owl can use the position of the meeting of the sound to the second ear to locate his prey. Then the owl pounces on the prey even if he cannot see it. Owls have special fringed feathers to help them fly silently. In this way they can pinpoint their prey with their ears then fly down and grab it without being heard.

Owls have sharp talons connected to strong toes, which are very effective for hunting and protecting themselves. Owls catch a variety of prey including frogs, lizards, snakes, fish, mice, rabbits, rats, birds and other creatures. Many also eat insects. Owls swallow their prey whole or in large pieces. Owls cannot digest fur, feathers, teeth, beaks, bones, insect shells or other hard body parts. Inside the owl's stomach, the undigestables are packed into a tight, egg-shaped chunk called pellets. Every 10 to 20 hours the owl will usually settle on its favorite roost and spit pellets onto the ground.

The most common owl to be found in town is the Screech Owl. The call of this owl is a series of mellow hoots or, more typically, a quavery, eerie wail. Screech owls are smaller owls that are generally grey, with yellow eyes. They have an ear tuft, which look like small horns. These stand up as a disguise, to resemble small twigs of branches. By blending into their surroundings they can be hidden from predators and song birds. When songbirds see owls they like to dive at them and make a racket, warning other birds that an owl is in the area. Because owls food sources such as mice fluctuate, the screech owl will incubate each egg as it is laid over a sequence of time. The young as they hatch will vary in size and age. In this way if food is abundant all of the 4 to 5 young will live. If food is scarce only the first few young will be raised. A few years ago I discovered a nest of screech owls on the corner of Second West and Second South in Tremonton.

The Barn Owl is common to our area as well. They most often live in barns or tall grain silos. At Golden Spike National Historic Site I often find them in small caves. One of the most distinct characteristics of the barn owl is its large white heart-shaped face. It has dark eyes and is golden brown above and white below. These owls do not hoot but have a loud rasping hiss. It also makes a clicking sound and snaps its bill when frightened.

Another owl in our area that can be found on farms is the Great Horned Owl. I have found these owls almost everywhere I go, from local farms to small caves at Golden Spike National Historic Site, in Logan forests and on the Wellsville Mountains. They are very large owls (about 2 ft. high with a wingspread of 4 to 5 ft.) with ear tufts which is why they are called great horned. Next to man the great horned owl is the only enemy to the Skunk. This is because owls cannot smell, making the skunks main defense useless and leaving the skunk easy picking for the owl. They make a series of three to eight loud, deep hoots, the second and third hoots often short and rapid. The male's voice is higher-pitched than the female's and a pair in concert seem to blend.

A fun owl to watch is the Short-eared Owl. They are most common in the flat lands in Northwestern Box Elder County. One year there were between 8 to 12 nesting pairs on the flat land just before entering Golden Spike National Historic Site. They start becoming active just before twilight and are active again in the early morning hours. I am able to view them almost every morning and evening in the spring and summer as I travel to and from Golden Spike National Historic Site. In the spring when they are mating they have the most unusual courting display I have ever seen. When the male see a female and is looking for a mate he performs "sky dancing". The male climbs into the sky by doing circles as he rises. When he reaches to the right height he dives, clapping his wings several times under his stomach. Then he climbs again circling and then clapping as he dives. After a couple times or more of this he will end by hanging in the sky, then he dives for the ground clapping as he goes. When he lands on the ground, if the female wants him for a mate she will follow him into the grass. Owl mates spend a lot of time together. They also rub their bills on each others faces, and preen each others bodies bringing out loose feathers. The one being preened will often stretch out their neck and coo.

Last but not least is an owl which is on the Utah threatened list. It is the small Burrowing Owl. These owls while raising their young can be seen all day. The male and female owls take turns guarding their young by sitting on a tree or fence post near their nest. The Burrowing Owl borrows an old burrow for a nest. Then they gather horse or cow manure to line the entrance and the den along with feathers and fur usually about 10 feet underground. Somehow they know this is not liked by other animals, while with no sense of smell it does not bother the owls. They use manure as a defense to keep anything from going into their den. They are often seen at the entrance of their dens where they bow and bob in a comic way. They also have the ability to make a sound which imitates a rattlesnake, again making an effective defense. When the babies start coming out of the burrow they will stay nearby and the guarding parent will fly towards the babies, let out a warning cackling sound and the young quickly dive into the burrow to safety. Each year there is usually one or more nesting pair near Golden Spike National Historic Site.

The Burrowing Owl and Short-eared Owl are easily viewed during daylight hours. If you would like to view either of these call the Rangers at Golden Spike National Historic Site and ask if they know the location of these owls.

The Leader - April 4, 2001