He sometimes repeats this impressive dance several times, to woe the female. It then flies up again and hangs in the wind. If the female follows him, they become a mating pair.Ī male Short-eared Owl circles high above the female he courts, while clapping his wings under his belly, several times during a dive. In a few species, upon gaining interest in a female, the male engages in showing off by fluffing its feather, or performing a courtship dance a few times, before he can finally impress her, or not. Males tend to call out and seek the females. Mating and Nesting: Owls usually mate in late winter. The retreating Owl is often pursued by the mob. The mobbing may force the Owl to move on to a different area. Interestingly, the Owl rarely responds to harassment, and it is just as rare for the Owl to be injured in any way, except in some odd exceptional cases of juveniles. This is not limited to one species, as once the attack begins, many different birds tend to join in. Therefore, they are often attacked or harassed by groups of smaller birds, like Drongos, Babblers, Crows, etc. Mobbing: Even though Owls are predators, they are feared by many birds. Some owls make clicking noises, when under threat. And not all species hoot like we just shared. Males have a lower-pitched hoot than females. Hooting is associated with courtship and is essentially a territorial call. Vocalisations: Owls have a varied variety of calls ranging from hoots to whistles, screeches, snorts, chitters, etc. They are found across all continents, except Antarctica. ecosystems.ĭistribution: Owls are found in a wide variety of habitats, from thick forests, meadows, and farmlands to even residential areas, where they can find rodents in abundance. ![]() Owls provide a pivotal ecological service by controlling agricultural pests, as they feed on rodents, shrews, and small insects and are at the apex of trophic levels in terrestrial and aquatic. ![]() Owls tend to regurgitate pellets containing indigestible bones, fur, and feathers, which serve as a good source for researchers to study their eating habits. A binocular vision along with acute hearing abilities also plays a pivotal role in the hunting techniques, of this mostly nocturnal species. ![]() Quite different from other raptors like hawks, eagles, and vultures owls have a broader head, forward-facing eyes, stocky bodies, soft feathers adapted for silent flight, short tails, and reversible toes that can point forward or backward.Īdaptations: They can rotate their head almost around 360 degrees which serves as a unique mechanism to capture their prey, and be aware of their surroundings. ![]() Mostly solitary, and mostly nocturnal with a few exceptions, these resident birds have a wide range of vocalisations.Īppearance: Owls are raptors that use sharp talons and curved bills to hunt, kill, and eat other living species. There are about 250 species of owls found worldwide, of which India is home to about 30-34 species. Steeped in lore and wisdom, owls are one of the most fascinating raptors or Birds of Prey, belonging to the order Strigiformes. This very unique, mellow and wise species has managed to capture the imagination of many over the centuries. Thus, someone spoke ever so aptly, in an ancient nursery rhyme that many of us grew up to. Why can’t we all be like the wise old bird?“
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