Secrecy and stealth, plus the cover of darkness, keep most owls out of sight. Seeing one is so special, youmight think these raptors are rare birds. But they’re actually all around you, hidden in plain sight.
To avoid discovery, owls perch motionless, nearly invisible in their superb camouflage. Still, other birds sometimes spot them and immediately raise a ruckus—so when you hear that kind of commotion, take a look.
And tune in at night, when most species are hootin’ and hollerin’, each with its own unique voice. Once you start listening for owls, you’ll discover they’re not rare birds at all—but definitely remarkable!
GREAT HORNED OWL
The deep hoots of these big birds (with a wingspan of 4½ feet!) are heard at night across North America in every habitat, even in cities. They’re most vocal in winter, so bundle up and step outside for a listen. Their favorite food? Skunks! But their full menu is a long one, including crows and other birds, frogs, shrews, bats, rabbits and other small mammals.
BARRED OWL
Known for its call, Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?, this common, noisy species of the East, Midwest and Northwest is mostly nocturnal. Unlike many of its relatives with yellow eyes, the barred owl has dark eyes, which enhance its mysterious appearance.
SCREECH-OWL
この記事は Birds & Blooms の October/November 2019 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
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この記事は Birds & Blooms の October/November 2019 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Sense or Nonsense? - Why some birds can taste and smell - but others can't
Does a porcelain berry taste like a blueberry to a gray catbird? Does a block of lard smell like frying bacon to a northern flicker? The short answer is no. While some avian species do have a well-adapted sense of taste or smell, they can't distinguish between flavors and odors the way humans can. They're not picking up every ingredient in the suet you put out, says José Ramírez-Garofalo, an ornithology researcher at Rutgers University in New Jersey and the director of Freshkills Biological Station in Staten Island, New York.
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Even if you haven't heard of Canada jays, you've heard of their relatives. Members of the corvid family, they belong to the same group as American crows, blackbilled magpies, and jays including blue, Steller's and scrub. "Unlike many of the other jays, a Canada jay doesn't have a crest of any kind; it just has a rounded head," says Dale Gentry, director of conservation for Audubon Upper Mississippi River.In 2018, the Canada jay's name was changed from gray jay, but Dale thinks the former adjective was fitting. "Most of its body is shades of gray with some white," he says. "There are different subspecies that have different physical traits, but most of them have some lighter coloring on their foreheads, upper breasts and throats, each with a darker streak that starts at each eye and goes back."
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