Saw-whet
owl
Saw-whet
Owl
At
7-8 inches high, the saw-whet owl is the smallest
of the owls found in New Hampshire. Though this
owl does give a rasp call like the sound of a saw
being sharpened, its most common call is "too-too-too." It
can repeat this call more than 100 times per minute.
It is most likely to be found perched in or near
a dense stand of evergreens like hemlock or spruce,
and feeds primarily on rodents.
BARRED OWL
Barred
Owl
"Who
Cooks for you? Who cooks for you, all?" is the call of the barred
owl, the state's most vocal owl. This large brown and white owl, with
large dark eyes and no ear tufts, is common. Barred owls also produce
a startling array of wails, screams, whoops and cackles. They are especially
noisy during their March and April courtship period. Prey include small
mammals, frogs, snakes and fish.
***
Screech Owl
Screech
Owl
The
screech owl is a bit larger than the saw-whet and is also a cavity nester.
These owls have two typical calls, neither one a screech; the "whinny" is
a mournful descending whistle and the "tremolo" is a one-pitch
whistle. Screech owls feed mainly on insects and small rodents.
***
Great Horned Owl
Great
Horned Owl
Great
horned owls are the real "hoot-owls." Their large size, ear tufts,
yellow eyes and white throat bib are unmistakable. The deep, rhythmic
hoots can be heard as early as January. Their five-note call has been likened
to the phrase, "Who's awake? Me Too!" An opportunistic predator, the
great horned owl feeds mainly on mammals,
photos taken
at
(squam
lakes natural science center)
Owls in New Hampshire
Owls
are much more numerous than people realize. Unless you live deep in a
treeless city, there is likely to be an owl within walking distance of
your house. A
cold night in midwinter is a good time to locate owls as they call to
each other during their breeding season. Eleven species of owl occur
in New Hampshire. The most common species live in forests, swamps, woodlots,
farms and even suburban yards. None of these owls is easy to see by
day; they spend most of the daylight hours hidden in tree cavities or
perched in thick vegetation. Their plumage color and pattern is designed
to blend in and their nocturnal activity period makes them difficult
to detect. Owls see and hear what humans cannot. Many special adaptations
combine to make owls superb nocturnal predators. Owls can see 35
to 100 times better in dim light than we can. Their eyes are fixed
in their sockets. The only way they can move their eyes is to rotate
their head. Their large, sensitive ears, located to the outside of their
large eyes enable them to locate distance and direction of sound with
amazing accuracy.
*****
Eagle
Photos
Great
Digital Photography Site PhotoshopNews.com
