How to Feed a Screech Owl
The eastern screech owl's habitat stretches across the United States from Montana to the Gulf of Mexico, south into northern Mexico and north into Ontario, Canada. The screech owl is a nocturnal creature that prefers wooded areas. Feeding a screech owl is not an easy task, as these birds eat only live prey. You can take solace in the fact that they are not fussy eaters and have been known to eat just about anything that is smaller than themselves. This includes rodents, insects, fish, birds and reptiles.
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Instructions
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Provide feeding opportunities for local screech owls by preserving their natural woodland habit. Screech owls like to feed by swooping down from perches to grasp prey with their talons. If you would like to provide such a perch, you can build an owl platform by following the plans listed in the Resources section below.
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Encourage screech owls to frequent your property by attracting rodents or small amphibians, such as frogs, which owls like to eat. Leave your fruit trees uncut, as screech owls are fond of hunting in orchards. Place perches or nests in areas close to streams and ponds because screech owls love to hunt aquatic creatures like salamanders, frogs, small snakes, fish and crayfish.
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Feeding baby owls whose parents have died is an arduous task. Both parents participate in the feeding of baby screech owl chicks and so the chicks are used to having a ready supply of food. They should ideally be fed at two-hour intervals from dusk to dawn to maintain their natural habits. Orphaned chicks are fed with the entrails of rats and fresh chickens. The food is held aloft with tweezers and the babies reach up and gulp it down.
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Tips & Warnings
Owls are protected birds. You can enjoy observing them in their natural habitat, but you may not keep them in captivity or harm them in any way.
References
Resources
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