Posts Tagged ‘owls of iowa’
What a Hoot!
If you give a hoot about owls, here are some fun facts you should know! Majority of Iowa’s nesting owl species primarily nest in trees. However, the burrowing owl usually will nest in abandoned badger dens. The short-eared owl nests on the ground in large grasslands. Short-eared owls have an endangered status in Iowa. This Read More »
Read MoreOwls of Iowa
Iowa is home to nine different owl species. You might not have seen all of them before, however, as two are state endangered — the short-eared owl and the barn owl — and one is state threatened — the long-eared owl. Let’s take a look at some of the most interesting facts at each species, Read More »
Read MoreOwls of Iowa: Short-eared Owl
You may not have even heard of the short-eared owl (Asio flammeus), because it is not common in Iowa. Although it is widely distributed throughout North America and is one of the world’s most distributed owls, it is endangered in the state of Iowa. Their “ears” are hard to see. One would think with “ears” Read More »
Read MoreOwls of Iowa: Long-eared owl
They might be called the long-eared owl (Asio otus), but you actually can’t see their ears. Instead, this state-threatened owl has feathered tufts on top of its head that look like it has long, pointy ears. They have a loud call. Like the great-horned owl, the long-eared owl has a hoot, like we expect from Read More »
Read MoreOwls of Iowa: Burrowing owl
The burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) is certainly an independent creatures amidst Iowa’s other eight owl species. It looks like an owl, but it acts a bit different than others that we have addressed in our Owls of Iowa series. Here are some interesting facts about the burrowing owl: It does indeed burrow. We expect owls Read More »
Read MoreOwls of Iowa: Snowy owl
Snowy owls are not constant winter guests in Iowa. Their behavior is known as irruptive, which means they might appear in some winters and not in others. That means that when a snowy owl is spotted, it’s a big deal. Let’s check out some reasons why snowy owls are such a neat bird. Large and Read More »
Read MoreOwls of Iowa: Barred owl
Even without the tufts of the great horned owl, barred owls (Strix varia) still have that classic owl shape and are easily diagnosed as owls from far away. Their haunting black eyes make them a beautiful addition to the owls of Iowa series. Who cooks for you? The barred owl has one of the most Read More »
Read MoreOwls of Iowa: Barn owl
We’ve talked about the large great horned owl, tiny northern saw-whet owl and adorable eastern screech owl, so this week we moved on to the state endangered barn owl. Barn owls are not federally endangered but their populations are low in Iowa. That could be because of habitat loss and prey loss because of Read More »
Read MoreOwls of Iowa: Eastern screech owl
They are called the eastern screech owl (Megascops asio), but that doesn’t mean all you’ll hear from them is screeches. Typically, these small owls only screech when they are defending their nest or fledglings. Otherwise, you will hear a variety of calls, including trills, whinnies, hoots and barks. They even make a clacking sound by Read More »
Read MoreOwls of Iowa: Northern saw-whet owl
Great-horned owls may be the most well-known and most common owl in Iowa, but I don’t think there’s any disputing that the northern saw-whet owl is the cutest. Only slightly heavier than a hairy woodpecker and about the size of a robin, the saw-whet owl (Aegolius acadicus) is tiny and adorable. Saw-what owls hide easily. Read More »
Read More