Dave H (MI)

Well-known Member
Speaking of barn owls. I read recently that they were thought to be extinct in Michigan but that one lone owl was found injured in 2012 over in the Grand Rapids area. With all the old farm buildings around you would think they would be common. I know there used to be a large gray owl..barred owls...that were common in the woodlots when I was a kid. Haven't seen one of those in decades but just last year I heard one calling in the dark. Screech owls are heard this time of year but we almost never see one. Probably the most common here are the great horned owls. They call at night starting in January when they pair up. You can see them moving at dusk a couple times of year if you watch. Or follow the mobs of crows and you will find some poor owl that got caught out in the light. Love to listen to them at night!
 
Had a screech or saw whet owl in one of my wood duck nest boxes a coupe of years ago. I like to "hoot" at the owls and get them to respond.

Larry
 
Have had a couple living in our hay storage barn for the past couple of years- have to cover the hay with plastic because of the "owl pellets"- they eat mice whole, stomach digests what it can, and the fur and bones are hawked up and spit out, all over whatever is below. There were dozens of the things, all over the hay, before we discovered it. Swept them off and covered it, didn't seem to phase the horses as far as eating it.
 
Back in 1968 my Dad was bringing my little sister home from evening piano lessons when they found a baby Great Horned Owl sitting in the middle of the street. They figured it must have fallen out of a nest nearby as it was way too young to fly. They brought it home but my sister couldn't keep it as she had a pet CAT, so I took it to my apartment & made a pet out of it. Fed it raw Hamburger meat and anything else it wanted to eat (it liked vegetables). Named it "HOOTY" and it got to be HUGE, nearly a 6 foot wingspread. Tried several times to get it to fly but it refused (probably memories of falling out of the nest). Kept the claws trimmed and (he/she - ???) would ride around on my shoulder like a Parrot. After a couple of years, it was getting to be just too big for my small apartment and it really needed to be with others of it's own kind, so we took Hooty to the Los Angeles Childrens Zoo and donated him to the Zoo.

Doc :>)
 
Found this full grown Screech Owl in the middle of the road in Farmington MI in 2010. Took it to a rapture rescue facility near Pinckney. They were amazed it allowed me to handle it.
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That's pretty amazing. Always been fascinated with birds of prey. Used to be a great show at the zoo in Toledo, OH that featured them. Really incredible to watch.
 

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