What Do Owls Eat In Your Yard And Wild

Owls are opportunistic hunters, taking whatever is most readily available. In your yard, their diet will be dictated by the environment and the time of year, along with the species of owl that visit.

Generally speaking, owls are most active in the early morning or late evening, which corresponds with the natural activity of their prey. The control of pests and small animals makes owls an accidental friend to homeowners and gardeners.

1. Small Rodents

If you see an owl fly silently in the trees at dusk, it is most likely searching for a potential rodent snack. Rats, mice and voles are largely found in many residential areas containing vegetation or bird feeders that attract them.

Owls use their powerful claws to snatch these nocturnal critters. Due to this fact, owls can reduce any infestation in an amazingly short period and very silently too. They are a natural and very earth-friendly way of pest control.

2. Insects

For the small owl species, insects are considered a great dietary component. For example, screech owls feed on beetles, moths, grasshoppers, and crickets.

During summer, in their prime population of insects, these owls usually help keep pesky bugs in check without using too much chemical pesticides. While hunting an owl swoops down silently to pick up a moth or beetle, showcasing agility and quick reflexes.

3. Swallows

For all the bird lovers out there, owls will occasionally hunt swallows, especially in the morning hours or late evening when most of these birds are roosting.

While owls generally go for ground-dwelling mammals, sometimes they might hunt swallows when their usual food supply becomes scarce. This is just a part of the food chain, though it sometimes disrupts the serenity of your backyard bird haven.

4. Squirrels

Squirrels are also among the common woods owls' prey. Tree-dwelling owls, such as the barred owl, are especially capable of catching these nimble animals. Squirrels are hunted more during the cold months when food becomes scarce.

Owls fly noiselessly to surprise squirrels, and since the latter cannot make it to the top of the trees in time, they get killed instantly by the owlet. Such behavior makes the owl equally stealthy as well as accurate.

5. Amphibians

A pond or water feature in your garden could attract amphibians like frogs and toads. Owls eat them, especially during summer months when the amphibians become more active.

Though this is not a staple diet for owls, amphibians provide all sorts of different proteins and nutrients for them. It's a great balance by nature when owls help control the population of these slimy creatures that become quite important.

6. Reptiles

Where the climate is warm and lizards and small snakes are plentiful, owls will not say no to reptiles as part of their diet. These slithery animals are a bit hard to catch; they require a quick, true strike, something that owls can easily do with their razor-sharp claws.

If there seem to be fewer lizards or garden snakes around, you may want to thank an owl.

7. Pet Food

When humans leave pet food outdoors, it can attract rodents - which ultimately attracts owls. Generally, owls do not favor diets out of their syllabus but sometimes they may even eat the pet food directly.

This can lead to a fight between your furry friend and owls. As owls have stronger reaction time and sharp claws, they can harm your pets. To discourage this, it's a good idea to take pet food inside at night, which also inhibits other nocturnal visitors such as raccoons and skunks.

8. Invertebrates (Worms)

This may be well realized around vegetable gardens and raised beds, where owls like the short-eared owl, feed on worms and minute crustaceans. These animals are often not so difficult to catch and afford a quick source of protein.

Owls dig into soil or mud to retrieve worms, especially during rainy seasons when the ground is soft.

Invertebrates are an easy catch and therefore more accessible, mainly to young owlets still in the process of learning how to hunt the more evasive prey. This type of diet is more common during times when small mammals are scarce, forcing owls to diversify their hunting tactics.

Wild owls have much wider prey. Their diet mostly depends on the owl species, habitat, and what is around. Now, let's go through some of the more general food sources these hooting birds find in their natural environment.

9. Rabbits

Large owls, like great horned owls and snowy owls, normally prey on rabbits. These animals are a good source of nutrition since they are comparatively large. Rabbits are normally active during twilight hours, which coincides with the hunting period of most owl species.

The fact that larger species of owls can prey on larger animals like rabbits is testimony to the strength and hunting prowess of the larger owl species. This also qualifies them as apex predators in certain ecosystems.

10. Bats

Great Horned Owls are reported at times to feed on bats. Quite a rare act, this could turn out to be common if a bat colony is close by.

Owls have the capability to intercept bats while they leave their roosts at dusk. Getting hold of such agile and fast-flying little mammals like bats does say something about their top-notch hunting skills.

11. Hares

The snowy owl, residing in tundra areas may well prey upon hares. The bigger prey will serve for a long time, as long as a week or more since one such prey will yield a rather large amount of meat.

As for catching hares, this task is trickier than the usual hunt, yet snowy owls are well adapted to this challenge. The predation of owls upon hares usually helps control the population of these invasive animals and maintains the ecological balance within their habitat.

12. Fish

Some owl species like the fishing owl, will seize the opportunity to hunt fish. If you are in an area near a body of water, it will be a surprise to see them in an elegant flight-to-dive maneuver catching fish like an American Eagle.

This is an exceptionally unusual wild incident unless you have a koi pond or are close to a stream.

13. Carrion (Dead Animals)

While owls are straightforward predators, many species like the great horned owl, do not have any hesitation scavenging for carrion whenever the opportunity presents itself. Owls will also consume recently dead animals in very harsh winters or in arid regions when prey is very scarce.

These would include roadkill or leftovers from other predators. This scavenging helps owls get by at times when pickings might be slim, and waste their energy searching for what is not hard to find. Still, this is not as frequent an activity as active hunting since owls prefer fresh meat.

14. Crustaceans (Crabs and Crayfish)

Owl species like the fishing owl, also hunt for small crustaceans such as crabs and crayfish near either coastal areas or freshwater lakes. These owls have a particular hunting technique by using their sharp claws to snatch crustaceans from shallow waters.

This diet is of particular importance to owls found around bodies of water because crustaceans tend to be rich in nutrient entities. It also goes to show how well-adapted owls are to the surroundings that they find themselves in, enabling them to exploit a variety of food sources based on their environment.

15. Small Birds And Eggs

They will also hunt small birds where readily available, especially in the nesting season when eggs, grown birds and chicks are exposed. More especially medium-sized owls like the long-eared owl will hunt small birds as a staple diet.

Owls are very proficient nest raiders because of their agility to give surprise attacks. This is especially so in the thick forests where there is a concentration of large bird populations.

Although owls are fantastic predators, there are things that really annoy them. In case you want to keep owls away from specific areas, such as your chicken coop or pet play yard, here are some of the tips that may be helpful to you:

1. Bright Lights: Owls are nocturnal birds; hence, the installment of motion-activated lights would be a very good way of keeping them at bay.

2. Noisy Sounds: Since owls have acute hearing, loud or even jarring noises will scare them off. If you are looking to keep owls from nesting near your place, consider using some wind chimes or alarms.

3. Reflective Objects: Bright surfaces of aluminum foil or any reflective garden ornaments will confuse owls; they would not want to come close.

4. Predator Decoys: Establishing decoys of larger predators like hawks will keep owls away. Owls are territorial and will avoid places where they detect rivals.

5. Pungent Odors: Owls loathe specific pungent odors, like those from essential oils or vinegar. Spraying such substances around the spots you want to protect will help you drive off these nocturnal hunters.

Here are some interesting facts about owls:

Quiet Flight

An owl is a bird that flies without making a sound. Its body and wings have special feathers that allow it to fly very quietly. Its front feathers are downy and the back feathers are soft like muslin.

Due to this special feature, air does not penetrate its feathers. And the owl does not make a sound when it flies. The owl's quiet flight also makes it easier for them to catch their prey or food.

Sharp Hearing

Owl ears are also special. As its ears are not in similar shape and size, one ear is higher or lower than the other. Because of this characteristic, its hearing ability and power are extraordinary.

Due to its sharp hearing, it has no difficulty finding its prey even in the dark or at high altitudes. It can detect prey around it by hearing.

Many Species

There are more than 200 species of owls around the world. From grasslands to deserts and mountains, its forms and shapes are also varied. The smallest is an owl named 'Elf' which is only the size of a soda can. The largest is the Great Horned Owl, its wingspan goes up to five feet. 

The shape and form of an owl also reflect its habitat. Bigger ones live in dark woods, smaller ones live in open areas.

Big Eyes

Owls have larger eyes than other common birds. Because of its large and sharp eyes, it can easily hunt in the dark. Its vision is like binoculars, so it can see food even from a distance.

But it cannot rotate the inside of the eye like we humans do. It has to twist its neck to look around.

Spinning Head

An owl can turn its head up to 270 degrees without moving its beak. The owl's eyes do not move, it has to move its head. By turning its head, it looks around, searches for food and hunts.

The reason it can turn its head like this is because of a special bone in its neck. There are 14 such bones in the owl's neck, whereas humans only have 7.