The Owl Pages Forum

[TallOaks]

Hello,
I live in an area that sounds heavily populated with owls; I hear them all around from dusk to early morning. I've downloaded several of the calls I found on the internet to my computer so I could try to identify what I was hearing outside. Last night I went outside and started playing the calls to see what would happen. Almost immediately, two barred owls flew by and landed in the trees above me. I sort of panicked, and did not play the calls anymore. I guess I didn't expect such a close-up response. My questions is, was I wrong to use the calls, and if not, is it possible or likely that an owl would attack a person who is using calls? Thank you.

[theowlette]

You don't know how lucky you are! People come here for advice on how to see owls in the wild, and you were able to see them! Owls have been known to attack, but only if they feel you are a threat to their nests. I've never heard of anyone being attacked because they used an owl call.

[TallOaks]

This is very exciting then! I'll try some different calls and see what I can bring in. I've seen a Great Horned Owl a few miles from my home and also believe that screech owls are indiginous to the area. Thank you for your reply. I feel a little more safe. I guess they were just investigating.

[theowlette]

From my little knowledge of Indiana, I believe you also have long eared owls and possible saw-whets, as well as GHO, barred, and eastern screech owls. I know Owlboy will give you more information when he sees this post!

[owlboy]

Welcome to the forum.

Playing owl calls is a common way of surveying owls. They will often come to investigate who is in their territory. Barred Owls are very curious, so it doesn't surprise me that they came. It is unusual for two to come at once. One had to be the male and the other was a female. If both were males, then they would have a territory dispute. Usually on the male comes.

If you are going to play owl calls, start with the smallest owl first. When you don't get a response, move to the next larger owl. For example, start with a Screech Owl, then move to the Barred Owl, and finally with a Great-Horned Owl. Also, try not to lure then into or near traffic. A lot of owls die from car impacts.

You can also use a flash light to look at them at night. The lights will not bother them.

I am sure that a lot of people would be envious of your situation. We have so many who struggle to find one owl.

In regards to owls attacking you. Most owls just come to investigate who is in their territory. I don't recommend you using calls of chicks, mice, or other prey. Otherwise, they can try to "steal" the prey from you. Some people have been injured over the years by using their own voice, but it is very rare. Try to use a CD player instead of your owl voice. Also try not to use owl calls very close to their nest site.
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Always looking for Owls in Greene County NY

[TallOaks]

Thank you for all the helpful information! I live in a very unique rural lake community. Our neighborhood is very small with only one private road in and no major roads within 5 miles. We are surrounded mainly by a dense hardwood forest with some conifer thickets and grassy fields, some of our surrounding neighbors have their properties classified as nature and wildlife preserves. Gee, now I plan on spending more time outside at night with my owl calls and a flashlight. I'm so excited! I'm glad to have found the Owl Pages community. In the past few days I've read many interesting posts on owling. Hopefully, I will be able to share this knowledge and hobby with my neighbors!

[owlboy]

Water and deep forest almost aways yields Barred Owls. They are nesting right now, and you can usually find the nest within 200 feet of water. If you listen at night to the male and female hooting their 8-hoot call, this will give you and idea of where the nest is. The female usually stays at the nest.

They usually nest in a tree cavity of 7 inches or larger, and will use the same nest the rest of their lives. So, once you find it, you can revisit it year-after-year. I do have to warn about approaching a Barred Owl nest. While Barred Owls are very mild mannered, they can be quite aggressive when defending their nest. Their owlets should be about to branch or have already branched. If you find the owlets running along the forest floor, make sure you just leave them. Their parents are around, even if you can't see them. When they have conifers around, they will use them.

If you would like to build a Barred Owl house, I can send you some very good plans for one. Just PM me with your Email address.

Screech owls usually like to nest next to fields, just inside the tree line. But, they will nest in deep forest also. They generally nest in tree cavities 3 inches or larger.

Great-Horned Owls will nest anywhere, and use an open nest, like a hawks nest.

In all cases, owls nest and stay where the food is. If you have lots of mice, voles, rabbits, squirrels, birds, etc, then you will find owls.

If you get some pictures, please share. We always like to see pictures.
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Always looking for Owls in Greene County NY

[Strix Struma]

YOU ARE SOOOOOO LUCKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! please take pics if at all possible!!! we (at least me) would also love sound recordings!!! videos are great too.... good luck!
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Beware of Owligators!!! Imahoot!

[LEStanley]

What a lovely idea!

There are a lot of barn and tawny owls around here (Britain so no barred wols!) and I lie in bed listening to them late at night. I find if I "call" to them they - for some strange reason - don't need to hear me call them to respond. I don't have any calls or anything - I just seem to connect with them on a spiritual level and they answer. I've seen one flap across the road at dusk and it is amazing when they show themselves because they are such shy and beautiful creatures.

Just perhaps be careful only to observe and not to poke them or pester them physically. Any owl, even the smaller ones, can be quite vicious when provoked. There are a lot of videos showing kids poking owls in the face or ears, and owls have been known to attack in the wild and rip at faces or fingers. But I know you obviously wouldn't do that so there should be no danger of them attacking.

And pictures would be lovely too!
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"The owl of Minerva flaps her wings at dusk" - Hegel

Listening to owls every night in Berkshire, England and about to be married to a big, white, fluffy Owlperson :}

[romillyh]

>> You can also use a flash light to look at them at night. The lights will not bother them. << (Owlboy)

>> . . now I plan on spending more time outside at night with . . . a flashlight. << (Talloaks)

Jeepers creepers. I'd never keep a flashlight trained on an owl at night for the most obvious of reasons. If you have a torch shone in your eyes when you've got your night vision, can you see afterwards? Why should owls be any different? In fact with their highly sensitive retinas the effect may be stronger, meaning they take longer to regain full night vision. Many operate in wooded areas and have to navigate obstacles down to the smallest twigs to avoid collisions and eye injuries. Owls are blinded by bright lights, and unfortunately will stare at them. One story I heard from a rehabber is of Tawny Owls that were attracted to welding torches during construction of the French end of the Channel Tunnel. In this case the birds were permanently blinded and had to be taken into care for the rest of their lives. They were lucky. No one will know about the owl that's dazzled by an owler's flashlight, flies off into the dark and collides with something before it's recovered its night vision.

I know it's quite usual for owlers to use flashlights to find owls at night, and I've done it successfully myself. But I never keep the light trained on the owl for more than a few moments, especially if it looks in my direction.

On whether they're "bothered" or not, they certainly tend to stay around while you do this, but that's hardly an indication that their night vision isn't considerably bothered. The very fact that they do often stay perched when a light's shone on them increases the likelihood of prolonged dazzling, so a thoughtless owler could blind an owl for some time. I suspect that LED lights are particularly damaging to night vision.

Maybe there are others who know that owl eyes are physiologically different from other animals and that it's fine to shine flashlights at them at night. Well, it just doesn't make sense to me for one.

romillyh

[raptortrnr]

[romillyh]

[raptortrnr]

anyone who isn't properly wary of an owls foot has never restrained one.
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Support Marine Mammals; leave fishing to them

[Prog Owl]

[The Horned Hoolet]