Some owl videos

[BarnOwlLover]

I hope you don't mind the Ke$ha song in the first video, and the old-timey Weather Channel music in the second. But the first is of "dancing" barn owls. It actually shows a trait of barn owls (and probably others) due to among other things their asymmetrical ear placement. They're better at hearing things from a distance or intermittent noise, which helps them hunt. But if the sound is close or constant, they'll "dance" to try and triangulate the sound. However, this doesn't hurt or annoy the owls, since they're actually all in a relaxed pose in the video.

The second is of a couple of examples of a relative of the barn owl, known as the bay owl. They're of the same family of owls (Tytonidae), but are smaller than most barn owls and have a divided U or V shaped facial disc instead of heart shaped.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPG2v6nLzdg


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdBqA6WTYHc

 

[rochie]

i was driving to work very early one morning, hotel was on a tiny country lane, pitch black and as rounded a bend i saw in my headlights what i first thought was 3 x tiny casper the friendly ghosts sat in the middle of the lane.
i stopped, they just sat there looking at me for a few seconds then i saw they were owls as they flew off

 

[special ed]

I have what may be an owl question. A few years back, I often found a cricket stuck on the barb of my fence, often still alive. Occasionally another insect stuck on a barb, but the curious item was half of a mouse, fresh killed, stuck on a barb. I concluded it must be an owl placing the food for storage, however nothing left on the fence was ever taken. Is this a thing owls do?

 

[BarnOwlLover]

I don't know, I haven't heard of that behavior from any animal, at least any where I live. I do doubt it, as owls do swallow prey whole usually (depending on size), and they stock pile prey at their nests.

 

[RAMROD1944]

Interesting videos. I like owls but, somehow, "I just don't give a 'Hoot'"

 

[SaparotRob]

 

[Gnomey]

Cool!

 

[TBeissel]

I have what may be an owl question. A few years back, I often found a cricket stuck on the barb of my fence, often still alive. Occasionally another insect stuck on a barb, but the curious item was half of a mouse, fresh killed, stuck on a barb. I concluded it must be an owl placing the food for storage, however nothing left on the fence was ever taken. Is this a thing owls do?

The Loggerhead Shrike is a bird that routinely impales it's prey as you describe. In the case of insects, they may leave it for a few days to allow naturally occurring toxins to dissipate or, in the case of the mouse, to make it easier to eat and to hold it for a couple days to be consumed.

 

[RAMROD1944]

View: https://youtu.be/8ZCINVHFRNA
Since the Owl videos were so popular, here's a video about playful Beavers. (Because almost everyone loves a playful Beaver.)