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Diet and Hunting | |
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| Description
Range, Migratory Patterns, and Habitat Development of Young and Life Span
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The owl is able to easily alter it’s diet
according to availability of prey and population numbers (Terres 1966). The diet
encompasses animals from small rodents and mammals to geese, swans, turkeys, foxes,
skunks, and porcupines. The owl has been known to hunt domestic animals such as chickens
and cats. When prey is limited, they might take other hawks, owls, snakes, frogs, fish,
and large insects (Auburn University unknown). Most hunting occurs at night, with some
activity at dusk and dawn. Daylight is mostly spent sleeping on a favorite lookout
position (Johnsgard 1988).The most well
known method of hunting is by perching in a favorite spot and waiting for prey to pass
underneath (Johnsgard 1988). Lesser used hunting methods include flying and searching for
food and walking through piles of debris in an attempt to scare out small prey (Eckert
1974).
Smaller prey is usually killed instantly when captured by either the force of the grab or by the razor sharp talons. Larger prey such as house cats, skunks and porcupines require much more precision and caution. If the prey is not killed within the first few blows, the prey can turn and claw, or imbed their quills into the owl. When hunting skunks, a nictitating membrane cover’s the owl’s eye for protection against the spray (Terres 1966). The Great Horned Owl’s impact on it’s food source is sufficient enough to cause direct competitors to leave. Any competitors remaining near a nest site will either be driven away or killed. Only non-competitors are safe in an established territory (The Hawk Conservancy 2000). |
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