Owls of Ohio - Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Owls of Ohio - Ohio Department of Natural Resources Owls of Ohio - Ohio Department of Natural Resources
territory, they will respond to tapes of their calls. While they may not call backto a tape, owls do fly in to investigate. A trick that banders have learned togreatly increase capture rates at their nets is to loudly broadcast saw-whet callsfrom speakers located at the base of the nets.I nter e s ting Fac t s s aw -w h e t o w l The Northern saw-whet owl is the smallest owl found in Ohio; adultsweigh about the same as an American robin. While these very secretive little owls have never been seen by mostpeople, they are possibly the most common species of owl in northernforests. The oldest documented captive saw-whet lived to 16 years; most wildbirds probably don’t survive to reach three years of age. An owl banded in Chillicothe, Ohio was recaptured later the same yearin Tofte, Minnesota – a distance of 691 miles!BreedingrecordsMigration &WinteringTips fo r Fi n d i n g a N o rth er n Saw-whet OwlMost birds discovered are migrants found in March and April, andNovember. A good way to find them is to check ornamental coniferplantings within large cemeteries, such as Woodlawn in Toledo, GreenLawn in Columbus, and Spring Grove in Cincinnati. Most often, the owlswill be found within ten or fifteen feet of the ground, but are surprisinglydifficult to spot within the dense growth that they favor. Many owls arealso routinely located in grapevine tangles in wooded habitats along theLake Erie shore, such as at the Bird Trail at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area orSheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve.Wintering birds are also occasionally found, often in similar haunts asLong-eared Owls (see tips under that species). Northern saw-whet owls that areoverwintering are prone to roosting in the same spot night after night. Theyoften streak the foliage and ground near their roosting site with “whitewash”,so an obvious accumulation of droppings is always worth investigating.Range acrossNorth AmericaBreedingWinteringYear-round
Short-eared owlAsio flammeus (Ay-see-oh [a type of horned owl] flam-ee-us [flame-colored])TRACKS36-39C O M M O N O W L S O F O H I O 39Short-eared owls are among the most easily observed of owls found in Ohio,thanks to their diurnal (active during daylight) habits. Numbers vary from yearto year, but in invasion winters, favorable areas can support staggering numbers.This species can quickly recognize sites that are experiencing a boom in smallmammal populations and will gather in large numbers to exploit such locales.The core breeding range of short-eared owls in North America lies mostly northof the U.S., and they nest far into the northern reaches of the Arctic tundra. Ohiolies at the very southern edge of their breeding range, and they are sporadic andrare nesters here.These curious owls are one of our most interesting birds to observe. Their buoyantmoth-like flight is quite distinctive, as is their habit of hunting over open fields andgrasslands. Towards the onset of spring, they can sometimes be observed engagingin their odd courtship flights. Upon witnessing a courtship display in New York in1924, Francis Harper was prompted to write: “…I noticed one of the owls high inthe air, flying with exceptionally slow and somewhat jerky wing strokes… makingscarcely any headway. Now and then the bird would swoop downward, meanwhilestriking its long wings beneath its body, perhaps 8 or 12 times in the space of asecond or two. It was a remarkable act, quite unlike anything known to me amongother birds.”D e s cripti o n short-eared owlLength = 15 inchesWingspan = 38 inchesWeight = 12.5 ouncesThese large, tawny-colored owls are unmistakable; quite unlike any otherOhio bird. Even from great distances and while on the wing, they can berecognized by their languid unhurried flight propelled by deep wingbeats,Photo by: Ohio Department of Natural Resources / Al Staffan
- Page 1 and 2: OWLS OF OHIO c d g u i d e b o o kD
- Page 3 and 4: OWLS OF OHIO OWLS OF OHIO OWLS OF O
- Page 5 and 6: with both eyes simultaneously. Anot
- Page 7 and 8: M o d i fi ed Fe ath er s owl morph
- Page 9 and 10: Pelle t s an d W h ite wa s h findi
- Page 11 and 12: Ab o u t this Bookle t and CD owls
- Page 13 and 14: C O M M O N O W L S O F O H I O 13O
- Page 15 and 16: y people placing nest boxes in barn
- Page 17 and 18: BTRACKS7-12arred owlStrix varia (St
- Page 19 and 20: C O M M O N O W L S O F O H I O 19D
- Page 21 and 22: Eastern screech-owlMegascops asio (
- Page 23 and 24: C O M M O N O W L S O F O H I O 23N
- Page 25 and 26: Great horned owlBubo virginianus (B
- Page 27 and 28: Normally solitary except during the
- Page 29 and 30: C O M M O N O W L S O F O H I O 29T
- Page 31 and 32: O h i o S tat u s l o ng - e a re d
- Page 33 and 34: N e s ting long - e a re d o w lLon
- Page 35 and 36: Northern saw-whet owlAegolius acadi
- Page 37: likely. When one is found, a very c
- Page 41 and 42: C O M M O N O W L S O F O H I O 41H
- Page 43 and 44: C O M M O N O W L S O F O H I O 43i
- Page 45 and 46: C O M M O N O W L S O F O H I O 45O
- Page 47 and 48: C O M M O N O W L S O F O H I O 47
- Page 49 and 50: Like the Northern hawk owl and grea
- Page 51 and 52: This is one of North America’s mo
- Page 53 and 54: This is the smallest owl in the wor
- Page 55 and 56: This small owl has a broad but spot
- Page 57 and 58: This species has become a symbol of
- Page 59 and 60: O T H E R N O R T H A M E R I C A N
- Page 61 and 62: Publication FundingFunding for this
- Page 63 and 64: A ppa l achi a n Fron tAu du bon So
Short-eared owlAsio flammeus (Ay-see-oh [a type <strong>of</strong> horned owl] flam-ee-us [flame-colored])TRACKS36-39C O M M O N O W L S O F O H I O 39Short-eared owls are among the most easily observed <strong>of</strong> owls found in <strong>Ohio</strong>,thanks to their diurnal (active during daylight) habits. Numbers vary from yearto year, but in invasion winters, favorable areas can support staggering numbers.This species can quickly recognize sites that are experiencing a boom in smallmammal populations and will gather in large numbers to exploit such locales.The core breeding range <strong>of</strong> short-eared owls in North America lies mostly north<strong>of</strong> the U.S., and they nest far into the northern reaches <strong>of</strong> the Arctic tundra. <strong>Ohio</strong>lies at the very southern edge <strong>of</strong> their breeding range, and they are sporadic andrare nesters here.These curious owls are one <strong>of</strong> our most interesting birds to observe. Their buoyantmoth-like flight is quite distinctive, as is their habit <strong>of</strong> hunting over open fields andgrasslands. Towards the onset <strong>of</strong> spring, they can sometimes be observed engagingin their odd courtship flights. Upon witnessing a courtship display in New York in1924, Francis Harper was prompted to write: “…I noticed one <strong>of</strong> the owls high inthe air, flying with exceptionally slow and somewhat jerky wing strokes… makingscarcely any headway. Now and then the bird would swoop downward, meanwhilestriking its long wings beneath its body, perhaps 8 or 12 times in the space <strong>of</strong> asecond or two. It was a remarkable act, quite unlike anything known to me amongother birds.”D e s cripti o n short-eared owlLength = 15 inchesWingspan = 38 inchesWeight = 12.5 ouncesThese large, tawny-colored owls are unmistakable; quite unlike any other<strong>Ohio</strong> bird. Even from great distances and while on the wing, they can berecognized by their languid unhurried flight propelled by deep wingbeats,Photo by: <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>Department</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Natural</strong> <strong>Resources</strong> / Al Staffan
Change language