Owlsof New York

A SAMPLER

NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

ny owls/ f&w / 2/00

Artwork by Jean Gawalt(Art not to scale).

Text by Barbara Loucks

Snowy OwlThis very large, rare winter visitor is white, flecked

or barred with a dusky color, and has yellow eyes.Females are much darker than males. Reaches lengthup to 27", wingspan up to 55". Found in open areas(fields, marshes, beaches, airports, frozen lakeshores) where they often perch low or on the ground.Feeds mainly on small mammals. Low lemming numbers in the Arctic are often thecause of their visit to our area.

Owl PelletsOwls are great hunters that often

eat smaller prey, such as mice,whole. Indigestible parts of the preyare regurgitated as owl pellets. Thepellets are gray or brown massesabout 1-2 inches long, and aremade up of fur, feathers, bones,bills, claws, teeth, and sometimesinsect or plant parts. Found at owlroosts and nest sites, these regurgi-tated pellets can tell the story of anowl’s diet. If you find an owl pellet,you can soak it in warm water andthen dissect it to learn just whatfoods the owl has eaten.

Great Horned OwlA very large, powerful brownish

owl with yellow eyes and promi-nent ear tufts (or “horns”). Hasfinely barred belly and whitethroat bib. Reaches a length upto 25" and a wingspan of 55";nearly twice the size of the crowsthat harass it. Likes a diversity ofwooded habitats including subur-ban areas. Feeds on an assort-ment of mammals and birds,snakes and frogs. Nests early in avariety of sites including old sticknests of other birds, snags andlarge tree hollows. Resident, butsome local movement in fall andwinter.

Eastern Screech OwlA fairly common small owl with yellow eyes

and ear tufts, the Eastern screech owl has twocolor variations: red and gray. Adults reachlength of 10" and a wingspan of 22".Prefers a mix of woods, openareas and water. Hunts smallmammals, birds and largeinsects. Nests and roostsin holes in trees andnest boxes. Non migratory.

Long-eared OwlA secretive, slender crow-sized owl,

the long-eared owl often perches immo-bile next to tree trunks, appearing invisi-ble. It has long ear tufts, a reddish-brownfacial disk, yellow-orange eyes, andreaches a length up to 16" with awingspan of 39". Males often paler thanfemales. Roosts communally in winterin evergreens. Hunts mainly mammals. Arare nester, often uses old crow nests inconifers in open woodlands, plantationsand wooded swamps. Migrates.

Northern Saw-whet OwlA very small tame brown owl

with yellow eyes, this bird getsits name from one of its callsthat sounds similar to a saw

being sharpened. Adultsare streaked underneath;

young are deep brownwith white eyebrows

forming a V. Reaches alength up to 8½", and

a wingspan of 17".Feeds mainly onsmall mammals.

Nests in holesin trees (often

woodpecker cavi-ties) and nest boxes

in mixed forests, coniferousforests, wooded swamps, bogs

and forest edges. Roosts inconifers at forest edges. Migrates

with occasionally high numbersreported.

Barred OwlThis large, dark-eyed,

gray-brown woodland owl isbarred across the chest andstreaked lengthwise on thebelly. Reaches lengths of upto 24", wingspan of 44".Prefers densely forestedareas for breeding. Feedsmainly on mammals and birds.Nests in cavities or in an oldhawk, squirrel or crow nest.Wanders during fall and winter.

Barn OwlA medium-sized pale owl with a

white, heart-shaped face, dark eyesand long legs, the barn owl is found

in meadow, grassland or marsh areaswhere it feeds on small mammals. It

has a buffy or rusty back with paleunderparts. Females are generally

darker, especially underneath. Lengthup to 20"; wingspan 44". Breeds year-round, nesting primarily in tree cavi-

ties but also in barns, silos and artifi-cial nest boxes. More common insouthern New York. Resident and

migratory species.

Short-eared OwlThis rare, medium-

sized, streaked owl is seenduring the day more often than most owls, usuallyobserved hunting small mammals in open areaslike old fields, marshes, airports, and meadows. Ithas yellow eyes, large buffy wing patches on theupper wing with black patches near the bend ofthe wing. and ear tufts that are not easy to see.Males are generally paler than females. Reacheslength of 17" and wingspan of 41". In winter,sometimes occurs in groups. Nests on theground in open areas along the coast, inmarshes and in fields. Migrates.

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