Birds are a particular group of animals that have not only conquered the aerial environment, but are also present in a diversity of habitats, with very different conditions from one another. On the other hand, the characteristics of the group vary, both in traits, customs and ways of eating. Thus, within this variety of feathered we find the order Strigidae, in which true or typical owls are grouped, and Tytonidae, which includes barn owls. In this article on our site we will talk about feeding this second group, so we will show you what owls eat
Type of feeding of the owls
These animals are nocturnal or crepuscular. Barn owls feed on carnivorous, just like their relatives the owls. These birds are excellent hunters, which in addition to having developed an extraordinary vision to see in low light conditions, have anatomical adaptations to fly silently, since the arrangement of the feathers makes it possible to reduce the sound of the wings while They move when flying. This makes the owls ste althy hunters, who often go unnoticed by their prey until the moment of capture.
In addition to the above adaptations, owls also rely on their developed hearing, which is very acute and with which they can also detect their potential prey. In fact, these birds are considered the most accurate in capturing prey using their sense of hearing.
In this way, owls can have a varied diet, although depending on the habitat they are in, they may have a preference for some particular prey. Among the various animals that they capture and consume we find:
- Various mammals.
- Other birds.
- Reptiles.
- Insects.
- Fishes.
- Amphibians.
Unlike other nocturnal birds of prey, which catch prey primarily with their talons, barn owls commonly catch with their beaks. They capture the animal in a very agile way while they remain flying.
Owls have been recognized as good biological controllers in certain farming areas, since, for example, they maintain stable populations of rodents that can be harmful to farmers. From this identification, in different regions they were introduced to use them for this purpose, however, the results were unfortunate, because in addition to feeding on small mammals, they also fed on local birds, drastically reducing the population of the latter..
What do baby owls eat?
These birds are altricial when they are born, that is, they are born blind and still lack the development to fend for themselves. In this sense, they totally depend on the care of their parents.
In most species of owls, the father is the one who brings the food to the nest, while the female receives it, cuts it into small pieces and feeds it to the chicks. Thus, little owls eat small pieces of meat given by their mother Generally, the young continue to be fed in this way until they are about 25 days old. After 50 days, they begin to fly and become independent, but for about 8 more weeks they will continue to return to the nest until they reach total independence.
What do adult owls eat?
We have already seen that adult owls eat a wide variety of other animals, depending on both the species and the habitat in which they live. Therefore, to better understand what owls eat, we are going to show particular examples.
The Barn Owl (Tyto alba) is one of the most widespread, since it can be found on almost the entire planet, except desert and polar areas. For this reason, their diet is really varied:
- Mice
- Voles
- Rats
- Muskrats
- Shrews
- Hares
- Rabbits
- Other birds
The African owl (Tyto capensis), also known as the Cape owl, is native to Africa, particularly central and southern. Their feeding is based on prey available in the habitat, such as the following:
- Mice
- African vlei rats
- Shrews
- Bats
- Insects
- Other birds
The Malagasy owl (Tyto soumagnei) or red owl lives in Madagascar, so its diet is based on animals that live in this island:
- Insects
- Reptiles
- Tenrecs
- Brown rats
- Tufted-Tailed Rats
The Eastern owl (Phodilus badius), also called the horned owl due to its particular appearance, lives in Southeast Asia and feeds mainly on of:
- Rodents
- Snakes
- Bats
- Frogs
- Lizards
- Beetles
- Grasshopper
- Spiders
- Various types of birds
The American barn owl (Tyto furcata), or American barn owl, is found mainly in different regions of the Americas, but also in other parts of the world. Your diet may include:
- Bats
- Various types of birds
- Lizards
- Amphibians
- Insects
- Voles
The Australian owl (Tyto novaehollandiae), or Australian masked owl, lives in Australia, except in desert areas, and in New Guinea. Your diet includes:
- Dasiurids
- Shrews
- Mice
- Bandicuts
- Rabbits
- Bats
- Reptiles
- Insects
The black owl (Tyto tenebricosa), sooty or tenebrosa, inhabits southeastern Australia and New Guinea, feeding of prey such as:
- Ringtail Possums
- Bandicuts
- Antechinus
- Insects
- Bats
- Other birds
Finally, we mention what the Ash-faced Owl (Tyto glaucops), which inhabits the Dominican Republic and Haiti, eats. Therefore, their diet is based on:
- Small Mammals
- Bats
- Other birds
- Reptiles
- Amphibians
Do owls eat cats?
As we already know, owls are carnivorous animals and, although they usually base their diet on the animals available in the habitat where they live, it can be expanded if necessary. In this sense, an owl could eat a cat without any problem, as well as any other domestic animal
In fact, there have been cases where these birds of prey capture dogs, for example, if they are small. In this sense, when living in areas where there are known to be owls, it is important to take care of small or medium-sized domestic animals, because if they are alone in patios or gardens they can be victims of these birds, which only see them as sources of food.
