Walk Softly – Wintering Owls

by Geoffrey Carpentier

This is an exciting time of year, bird-wise. You might think winter is so close, nothing much is happening out there, but you’d be wrong! I’ve talked of hawk and eagle migrations in the past, but an additional migrational phenomenon is emerging, right now. It involves owls which come south every year, in varying numbers, not to escape the cold, but more so, to find food. Many species of owls migrate annually, and many individuals will settle in North Durham and the Kawarthas.

Perhaps the most obvious is the Snowy Owl, a large, white daytime feeding owl which sits out in the open. Snowies are pretty easy to spot, while other owls are much more secretive. The Northern Saw-whet arrives in October and stays until late February. These owls are always hard to find because they are tiny (7-8” tall) and hide very well in dense coniferous trees. Occasionally, their larger and more rare cousin, the Boreal Owl, will come down, as well. Medium-sized owls, like the Barred and Long-eared, breed here but their populations may be augmented by northern migrants. The former is usually solitary, while the latter may be found roosting in conifers, with some of its pals. Both hunt at dusk and dawn, seeking out mice and voles. Occasionally, the Long-eared Owls are joined by Short-eared Owls which are becoming more and more uncommon, due to habitat loss.

Our largest owl, the Great Horned, (17-25” tall) also breeds here but periodically an uncommon subspecies, of the Great Horned, called Snyder’s Owl, shows up. It is strikingly different in colour, showing grays and blacks, instead of browns, in its plumage. The Eastern Screech-owl is resident but prefers hardwood forests and stays mostly to the south of our area. Its plaintive whistling song echoes through the forests, starting in late February and continuing throughout the year, until early winter.

The stars of the show, for many birdwatchers, are the Great Gray Owl and Northern Hawk-owl. These are truly boreal owls which only occasionally come down, to Durham Region and the Kawarthas, to spend the winter with us. When they do, they cause a lot of excitement! Last winter was a good one for the Hawk-owls. Maybe this year they will come again and spend time in Durham and the Kawarthas. Likewise, it’s been quite a few years since we’ve seen the Great Grays, so I think we’re overdue. Bulletin: The Great Grays are here now in good numbers!

I have two requests of you. First of all, if you see an owl, the urge to approach is very high but please don’t try to walk up to them and see how close you can get. The fact they don’t readily fly away is NOT a sign of indifference! They are very aware of our presence, but simply don’t see humans as a risk. The challenge for them is they need to hunt, and when we surround and pursue them they can’t hunt and literally can starve, even though they’re surrounded by food. So please stand back, tune up your telephoto lenses, take your photos from a distance and enjoy them while you can.

The second request is simpler: please let me know if you see any Snowies, Great Grays, Boreals or Hawk-owls. We try to monitor these winter invasions, as they indicate the health of the birds of prey and thusly the health of our environment. Email me privately and in a timely fashion (while the birds are still with you, if possible), with dates, locations and what you saw. Add photos if you have them. Send details to geoff.carpentier@gmail.com. Remember these northern visitors are coming because food in the north is scarce and they are arriving hungry. Please give them the space they need to survive. Thank-you all for caring for our winter owls.

Geoff Carpentier is a published author, expedition guide and environmental consultant. Visit Geoff on-line at LinkedIn and Facebook