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Ecowrappin'
It's a Hoot!
Tuesday, February 4, 2003
Birds are beautiful, fascinating creatures of flight. People enjoy feeding birds and birdwatching and birding activities have become increasingly popular. In fact, birding has become the number one spectator sport globally. All aspects of the diverse world of birds, and particularly the spring migration of songbirds, excites many birding enthusiasts (including myself). I could watch those small, colourful warblers flit around Point Pelee forever.One family of birds that I find particularly interesting is owls. Being mainly creatures of the night, so quiet in flight and secretive by nature, it is always thrilling to encounter one. Even hearing one call is wonderful. They hoot, whinny, bark, screech, toot and hiss, depending on the species and becoming familiar with their calls is an intriguing challenge.
We have several species of owls that can be seen in Chatham-Kent including some that simply use this area as their southern retreat for the winter. The species that many people are familiar with is the Great Horned Owl. The Great Horned is the most widespread owl, being found all over North America from Newfoundland to Texas and north to Alaska. This is the owl that gives those deep, muffled hoots in a rhythmic series ("hoo-hoo-hoohoo-hooo"). Although very common in Southwestern Ontario, the Great Horned Owl takes second place to the Eastern Screech Owl in numbers.
The Eastern Screech Owl is one of the smallest owls to be found locally. "Screech" may be a bit of a misnomer as their calls are better described as a descending whinny and a whistled trill. Screech Owls are sometimes found in urban areas and I know of nesting pairs in Chatham and Wallaceburg. They are somewhat tame or at least unafraid of people and can sometimes be observed very closely. I have watched them as they sit on a limb just a few feet from my head when I am out in my yard in late summer and fall evenings.
Another owl that can be observed very closely is the small Northern Saw-whet Owl. This adorable little owl (only 7"-8" from top of head to tip of tail) lives in the mixed woods of the Canadian Shield and migrates to our area for the winter, although there have been some "probable" and even a few "confirmed" nestings at both Point Pelee and Rondeau in the past.
Two closely related owls found in Southwestern Ontario in the winter are the Long-eared Owl and Short-eared Owl. They tend to group and roost in small flocks. Long-eared Owls are a woodland species and can usually be found roosting in dense stands of evergreens. There are confirmed nesting records of Long-eareds throughout Southwestern Ontario but they are very quiet, secretive birds that are not easily found during the nesting season. Short-eared Owls prefer open spaces such as grasslands, marshes and coastal sand dunes. They are typically found roosting on the ground and are somewhat active during daylight hours. If you go to a large cattle pasture, you may be lucky enough to see Short-eareds flying around in the late afternoon before dark. Sometimes, you will even hear their nasal barks. There are nesting records of these owls in Southwestern Ontario but they are rare.
Other owls that make the Southwestern Ontario bird list include Barn Owl, Snowy Owl, Great Grey Owl, Barred Owl, Northern Hawk Owl, Burrowing Owl and Boreal Owl. Most of these would be considered rare sightings in our area although Snowy Owl sightings are reported most winters.
As I said earlier, encountering an owl is exciting and I make an effort to find them during Christmas Bird Counts and other bird census activities. If you are interested in learning more about Owls and seeing and hearing them, you should check with local naturalist clubs and the provincial parks. Perhaps you can join an "owl prowl" at Pinery or Rondeau and have a first hand encounter with one of these amazing birds.
Yours in Nature,
Larry Cornelis
