[mou] Regarding starving boreal owls

[esteb02@frontiernet.net]

Howard,

There's no such thing as a dumb question. (Well, maybe there is, but I
don't think that this is one.)

Owls in general, are not highly intelligent birds, comparatively to
other species of birds.  But they don't need to be, since they have so
many highly developed adaptations that program them for survival, such
as great eyesight (even in dark), better hearing than just about any
other creature and silent flight.  Owls depend on these abilities in
helping them to survive and find food.  However, this "programming" can
work against them in abnormal situations.

Their eyes and ears are "programmed" to detect small movements and
sounds.  A piece of meat does not move/twitch or make noise in the
snow.  And most likely an owl would not "recognize" it as food, since
it doesn't look like anything they've eaten before.  That is why many
of these species become highly specialized feeders, they are
"programmed" or attracted to a specific prey, such as voles.  Other
possible food items are unrecognized and therefore ignored.  Of the
owls, GHOs are probably the closest thing to a generalist feeder.

In order to supplement wild owls, you would need to buy/raise small
rodents such as mice or gerbils and release them alive in sight of the
owl.  I'm sure they would take them without hesitation.  Both GGOs and
NHOs have a tendency to be unfearful of humans and would probably go
after a mouse almost at your feet if they were hungry.  Dave Evans from
the Hawk Ridge banding station has caught and banded NHOs with only a
fishing net and a live mouse this way.  Of course the other argument
against this would be that a bird could become dependent on handouts
and quit hunting.  But I think with owls, they will not take something
that doesn't resemble their natural diet.

Steve Estebo
Avian Zoologist
Minnesota Zoo

Quoting Howard Weinberg <hjw_forest@yahoo.com>:

> I just read the Mark Alt/Steve Wilson email about starving boreal
> owls.  I would like to ask the list serve what perhaps is a dumb
> question.  Would a Boreal Owl eat a strip of meat if it was left out
> or does the "prey" need to be moving to get the Owl's attention?  I
> would gladly leave some strips of meat out before i left for work if
> an owl would take it.  I did it for a GGO that was in the yard, but
> he didn't go for it.  Blue jays on the other hand were happy to carry
> it away and munch on it and chickadees pecked at it as well.  I will
> keep the feeders stocked with seed as Steve suggests (for mice).
>
> Wishing i could do more for what i know is a sad but real part of
> nature.
> Howard in Duluth
>
>
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