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Screech Owls
- To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: Screech Owls
- From: MJWESTPHAL@unca.edu
- Date: Tue, 06 Feb 2001 13:05:15 -0500 (EST)
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
Anyone out there with experience viewing Screech Owl nests, this question is
for you. I have a Screech Owl box that has a layer of wood chips in the bottom
and something has recently put a layer of Blue Jay and Cardinal feathers on top
of the wood chips - nothing else, just the feathers. I have read that Screech
Owls put feathers of their prey in their nest, but Blue Jays are mighty big
prey for a Screech Owl I would think. So my questions are:
1. Would a Screech Owl kill something as big as a Blue Jay?
2. Would a Screech Owl put feathers from some other critter's kill into the
nest?
3. Would some other kind of animal, like a squirrel, be using the box and, if
so, would they put in just a bunch of feathers and nothing else?
By the way, these appear to all be larger wing and tail feathers, not down
feathers. The Blue Jay was probably killed nearby as I found a pile of
feathers in the woods about 40 feet from the box.
Anyway, if you have any idea what type of animal might be using this box,
please let me know. Obviously, it was not occupied when I checked it, but I
will check it periodically to see if anything develops.
Marilyn Westphal/Hendersonville
email: mjwestphal@unca.edu