Owl photos and facts
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Although some owl species are diurnal
(active by day), most owls hunt at night and are seldom observed
by humans. Because of this nocturnal (nighttime) existence, they
are little known and often misunderstood, even though some owls
live their entire lives in close proximity to people.
Owl eyes are exceptionally large and are well suited to night
vision. They are more than 100 times sharper than human sight,
affording them the ability to see clearly in the darkest of nights.
Because their eyes are fixed in their sockets - they can't move
their eyes up or down or side to side, owls compensate with an
incredibly flexible 14 neck vertebrae - humans have 7. This allows
them to swivel and rotate their heads with amazing dexterity.
Owls can whip their heads 270 degrees so quickly, they give the
illusion of being able to turn their heads in a complete circle.
Regardless, owls use their vision primarily for navigation and
locate their prey by sound. Their disk shaped face collects and
concentrates sounds in the bird’s ears, so the owl can precisely
gauge the direction and distance of hidden prey. They hear frequencies
up to 20,000 cycles per second (8500 cycles per second is the
high range for human hearing), and are able to pick up the high-pitched
squeaking of mice and small mammals.
An owl’s ears are located on the sides of the head, but
are off-set, not symmetrical like human ears. The openings of
the ears are slightly tilted in different directions - often the
right ear is longer and set higher up on the skull. By tilting
or moving their head until the sound is of equal volume in each
ear, the owl can pinpoint the direction and distance of the sound
to within a fraction of an inch, even if the prey is hidden by
vegetation or snow. This unique trait is called triangulation.
It is no wonder the owl is the symbol for wisdom in many cultures.
For the owl can see that which others cannot, and this is the
essence of true wisdom. The so-called “ear-tufts”
on the top of their heads aid in camouflage and recognition between
individuals and have nothing to do with hearing.
To achieve silent flight, owl feathers have a velvety soft textured
surface and a toothed comb-like leading edge. This unique feature
muffles the sound of air rushing over the feathers by breaking
up the turbulent air wake into many small turbulences. It is these
small turbulences that collide with each other, counteracting
any generation of sound.
Unlike other raptors that carry prey in their talons and rip
it apart before eating, owls often carry their prey with their
bill and then swallow their prey whole. Bones, fur, claws, teeth,
and other indigestible items are regurgitated as pellets. These
pellets, found at roosting sites, can be examined to determine
the owl's diet.
Owls of New Jersey
There are eighteen species of owls in North America;
eight of these can be found in the Garden State.
SNOWY OWL Nyctea scandiaca
The Snowy Owl is a large bird, 21 to 28 inches tall, and has
a wingspan of 50 to 65 inches. This bird is from the Canadian
tundra, but can occasionally be found in New Jersey during
the winter. It prefers open country such as fields, pastures,
coastal beaches and airports.
GREAT HORNED OWL Bubo virginianus
The Great Horned Owl is New Jersey's most impressive owl. Standing
18 to 25 inches tall, with a wingspan of 48 to 60 inches, it is
indeed a powerful and fearless bird of prey. Primarily a woodland
species, the Great Horned Owl is occasionally found in parks and
orchards. It is non-migratory and occurs throughout the state
in good numbers year round.
BARRED OWL Strix varia
The Barred Owl is one of our largest owls, 16 to 23 inches tall
with a 38 to 45 inch wingspan. This owl is predominantly nocturnal
and lives in deep woods and swamps. a year-round dweller, it is
on the Threatened Species list in New Jersey because of diminishing
habitat.
BARN OWL Tyto alba
Barn Owls, sometimes called "Monkeyfaced" owls because
of their heart-shaped faces, are strictly nocturnal. As their
name suggests, they commonly select man-made structures in which
to live: silos, water tanks, church towers and barns are favored
sites. They are 14 to 20 inches tall with a wing-span of 40 to
45 inches.
SHORT-EARED OWL Asio flammeus
Medium sized, 13 to 17 inches tall with a wingspan of 39 to 44
inches, the Short-eared Owl was once a frequent nester in the
marshes and meadowlands of New Jersey, but development of these
wetlands have greatly reduced the habitat for these birds, and
recent breeding records are scarce. However, it is still a fairly
common winter resident. This owl lives in open fields, marshes
and meadows, and nests on the ground, well hidden in the reeds
and grasses.
LONG-EARED OWL Asio otus
The Long-eared Owl, a nocturnal bird about the size of a crow,
has a 36 to 42 inch wingspan. This owl lives in deep woodlands,
preferring dense groves of conifers. Although it does breed in
isolated locations in New Jersey, it is best known as a winter
visitor, when several owls can often be found roosting In the
same evergreen tree.
SCREECH OWL Otus asio
The Screech Owl is New Jersey's most common breeding owl and is
a permanent, year round resident. Preferring open woodland terrain,
it lives in rural suburbs, farming districts, city parks and apple
orchards. It is small, 7 to 10 inches tall with a wingspan of
18 to 24 inches, and occurs in two color phases, or morphs: gray
and red.
SAW-WHET OWL Aegolius acadicus
The Saw-Whet Owl is New Jersey's smallest bird of prey. Only 7
to 8 inches tall with a wingspan of 18 to 21 inches, this mini-owl
weighs a mere 4 ounces. Saw-Whets are seldom observed because
of their small size, their nocturnal habits, and the dense, deep
woods in which they live. These owls seldom breed in New Jersey.
They are regular winter visitors here, but their numbers vary
greatly from year to year.
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