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Screech Owl Box



Many thanks to those who responded to my question regarding feathers in the
Screech Owl box.  There were some people who were equally curious and had seen
the same thing, and others who had studied Screech Owls and seen this occur. 
For those who also wanted to know what was going on, this is the response from
Ed Heistand (I hope he doesn't mind my printing it here).  Other responses were
very similar, but he also asked me to give him some additional info.  Since
another emailer had recently seen the same thing, I thought maybe that person
could also send the info requested to Ed. Here it is:

Those are some very interesting observations you have made. I studied screech
owl nesting habits, especially nest site selection, as part of my Master's in
biology, and also have rehabilitated many owls.

There is no doubt that screech owls can and do kill birds as large as blue
jays. I often found feathers of jays and mourning doves in the nests. The
targets are undoubtedly ones of opportunity, as the owl surprises one on its
roost. I have found not just the feathers but feathers with body parts
attached, indicating predation.

I'm interested in the dimensions of the hole the owl was using, particularly
the depth. While hole width often varied in our studies, the depths remained
constant, indicating the owls were seeking out old woodpecker/flying squirrel
holes of a certain "style".
Good luck with your little guy, and if I dare make a suggestion it would be
that you examine the hole after dark when the owl will be out foraging and
you can examine the cavity without disturbance to the bird. One thing I
always enjoyed was waiting quietly by the hole at dusk to watch the owl leave
for the night. Once you see it leave mark the time, and you will note that it
leaves each evening around the same light level, i.e. later on cloudy
evenings and as the season progresses.

Regards,

Ed Hiestand
Birdfishrs@aol.com