Owls of Ohio - Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Pelle t s an d W h ite wa s h finding owlsIn favored sites, owls will return to roost on a regularbasis. Often, these roosts are in dense conifers likepines or spruces. At such sites, owl pellets (see sectionon digestion) accumulate on the ground beneath theroosting owls. Sometimes it is easier to walk throughseemingly suitable roosting spots and look at the groundfor pellets, rather than trying to spot the owls concealedin dense cover. If pellets are located, then the treesoverhead can carefully be searched for owls. Long-earedowls frequently roost communally, and the pellet bedsbelow their roosts can be quite impressive.The trees and ground beneath roosting sites are oftenstained with “whitewash,” or excrement, and areasprominently stained by droppings are always worthinvestigating. Owl droppings are often quite liquid andvery white, and expelled forcefully. Thus, prominentstreaks can be left on the branches and tree trunk belowthe roosting owl. There was a case in Delaware Countyin which a landowner noticed a gradual accumulation of“whitewash” on one of his bee hives, which was locatedunder a white pine. Finally, he investigated the treeabove, and there sat a Northern saw-whet owl, whichended up overwintering at this site.R eco r d i n gs finding owlsThe use of recordings can be a great way to triggerowls to call, but their use comes with a caveat. Playingowl calls to stimulate reactions should be done veryjudiciously and never more than a few times in any givenlocale in one season. While a recording often promptslocal owls to answer, overuse of this technique maydisturb them and cause disruption of nesting. When anSnowy owl in the act ofregurgitating a pellet.Photo by: Scott Carpenter / www.westerngrebe.com