Owls are known for attacking in September

In autumn there are a lot of first year owls leaving their parents and moving to new territories. Many customers in the Wild Birds Unlimited - East Lansing store are reporting their encounters with owls. Most people are excited about these large birds when they perch in their yard. Other people have experienced silent, unexpected, swoop downs.

Experts theorize that the owls perhaps dive bomb unsuspecting early morning joggers more at this time of year because they are inexperienced in hunting, defending a new territory, because of mistaken identity or maybe the young birds are just behaving badly. Owl strikes are more common at dawn or dusk when vision is not always the best with people or with animals.

Also recent studies show suburban neighborhoods with large trees have been supporting more and more Barred Owls. Using transmitters, scientists found that populations increased faster in the suburban settings than in old growth forest. A factor of this suburban success may be easily accessible rodent prey.

The Barred Owls nest in a tree cavities usually created by woodpeckers or squirrels. They’ll also use manmade bird houses. If they’ve had a successful nesting in the past they will often reuse a nest. Barred Owls are non-migratory.

Breeding season is from December to March. After 4 weeks of incubation by the female, young owls hatch and then fledge four to five weeks later. At six weeks old the young will learn to fly. Barred owls live alone for most of the year but a family group can stay together for up to six months.

Barred Owls help keep down the rodent population. They eat mainly small animals like chipmunks, mice, voles, smaller rabbits, amphibians, reptiles, and some bugs. Most owls avoid human interaction and will fly away when you approach. A few, however, may be more curious and come in for a closer look.

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