Barn Owls of Rancho Bernardo, California
Barn Owls of Rancho Bernardo, California
Over 200 owl species in the world
Most belong to the StrigidaefamilyBarn owls belong to the family TytonidaeScientific name “Tyto alba” means “white bird”
The other common owl in Southern California is the
Great Horned Owl
They control rodents which carry diseases and destroy crops and gardens
Nesting pair can eat 2000 rodents in a nesting season
Encouraged to nest nearbyHoles made in barns or other structures
Owl boxes secured to trees or put on top of tall poles
AttractiveLarge eyes / heart-shaped face Barn Owl Drawing - 1508
Wingspan of about 4 feet
Can’t move their eyes in their sockets, but can turn their heads 270 degrees
Up and down / left and right
Excellent night vision
Best hearing of any animal on earth
Offset ears in satellite dish face
Completely silent flightComb-like front edge on outer feathers
On our backyard hillside
Fifteen feet high
Next to pine and palm trees
Allows a “glide path” to
the entrance
Two wireless network cameras
“Fledge”
Platform
Safe
and dry
Owl box installed 9/16/2010
Screeching heard and two owls circling at night Dec. 4, 5 and 6
Morning of 12/7 we find Tuppence
In the box all day, gone all night
The Dec. 13th “Owl Tantrum”
“Young female owls imprint a new home in their minds by ‘cleaning it up’ – screeching and scratching at the floor and the walls with their talons.”
Tom Stephan
Evening of Dec. 14th we found Tommy in the box with Tuppence
They went off later to go hunting
But after that, both stayed together in the box during the day
Barn owls stay with the same mate for life
And they are very affectionate towards one
another
Rest of December Together in the box during the day
Sleeping, standing on one leg
Early evening, she would “hen peck” him out the door to go hunting
The “treats” he brought back were quickly devoured
Jan. 6th “nesting activity” begins with owl pellets
On Jan. 8th the camera showed the first eggTommy seemed proud
Tuppence seemed clueless
Night picture shows nest of pellet material
New eggs are laid every 2 daysBarn owls can lay up to 16 eggs!
Tommy often guarded the door between hunting trips to stock the “pantry”
A total of six eggs were laid by Jan. 21st
Barn owls eggs take about 30 days to hatchTuppence’s job is to keep the eggs warm and safe
Tommy’s job is to bring her food
Often, while on the nest, Tuppence will groomBarn owls must keep their feathers clean
Tuppence must keep eating to stay healthyAdult barn owls often swallow rats and even rabbits whole!
On February 9th we welcomed the first barn owl chick into the world
How “Soren” and his sister got their names
How Mommy Tuppence feeds her new chicks
The chicks hatch every two days At first they have no feathers and their eyes are closed
When not feeding them Tuppence keeps them warm with her “brood patch”
Look at all the food in the pantry!
Downy feathers begin to grow and so does the noise level in the box
Owl chicks start out making faint “snores”
That changes to hisses and scratching calls when food is delivered to the box
The chicks also become more activeThey can lift their heads and move around
Sometimes Mommy can keep them under her brood patch (especially that Soren)
Mommy will leave the box to stretch her wings, but not for very long
Barn owl chicks double in size every couple of daysAs they grow, they get more demanding to be fed
At first Mom feeds them
Then they try to feed themselves (especially if Mom isn’t in the box)
And in not too long, they are swallowing rodents whole!
[ Videos can be found on:
www.OwlBeSeeingYou.com ]
It takes two months for an owl chick’s feathers to grow out so that they can fly
Six eggs were laid, but only two chicks survived, Soren and Eglantine
Two chicks died shortly after hatching
One chick was just too small to get its share of food
One chick looked healthy but died suddenly, probably of a virus
In nature, very few barn owls live to be a year old
That’s why they lay so many eggs
Soren and Eglantine turned out to be fun loving siblings!
Right on schedule (about two months after hatching – early April) the chicks were flying around the box and in the nearby trees
Their parents would go off with them, teaching them to hunt
One month later, they were both gone for good
Tuppence has been in the box on and off for the last few weeksSometimes, like yesterday, both owls were in the box
It appears likely there will be another clutch of eggs laid, probably in December or January
Visit Tommy and Tuppence’s Website
Where you can:
• See last year’s journal and videos (Chapter 1)
• See this year’s journal and videos (Chapter 2)
www.OwlBeSeeingYou.com