screech owl

[Bill Kepley]

The last two nites there has been a screech owl in the tree in my back yard. It is there around dusk and then leaves when I turn on the lite to get a better look. I looked up screech owl on a couple sites and they claim these owls eat small birds as 5-10% of their diet. They apparently hover around perching birds, then nab them when the bird flys. Otherwise they eat small rodents, which I have an abundance of in this yard. Has anyone here had experience with screech owls and martins? The part about hovering brought images of it around the martin housing, I don't think it has long enough legs to reach into the housing like a GHO.
Bill

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

If you use SREH, the screech owl is not a problem. Screech owl houses usually are built with 3in holes. They possibly can enter a 2-1/4in hole, if its young or poor.

They sure can scare a person at night, sounds terrible! I saw one sitting in our garage, but I think he was scared of me looking at it, and it left and never returned.

[Gary W]

Hi Bill,

Last year there was an ASY Male singing on the power line connection to my house when it was almost dark. Out of no where appeared this Screech Owl that slammed into the Martin. Apparently, the owl missed the ASY Male with its talons. The Martin took off like a bat out of hell and got away. I have no doubt that if the opportunity arises, Screech Owls will prey upon Martins!

Gary

[RC Moser]

Did he look like this?? Mr. Magoo has been around my yard for over 5 years. They eat mostly moles, voles, and do catch small birds roosting if the come across them. I have observed him on several occasions. They seem to zero in on movement and sound. They are stealth Flyers, you can not hear them coming or going. I have observed him several times leaving his roost, he as flown right by me within one foot and you can't hear nothing.

I have srehs and hidden deep cavities, also never seen Mr Magoo around My PM houses. If you have two inch round holes with 6 by 6 compartments they may be at risk, but I would be more worried about Hawks, barred owl, the great horned. even Mr. Magoo has to watch out for them. I am suprised he has been around that long.

[flyin-lowe]

RC
I have never researched the screech owl but how do they eat moles and voles? In Indiana were I'm at there is a huge problem with moles and I have only once in my life seen them above ground. I saw one scurry across the road one time. How exactly do they get them?
I don't want it to sound like I am doubting you at all I am just curious to learn.
Thanks

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

The moles come above ground occasionally, especially during mating season. They also come above ground when the colony disperses. Why did that one cross the road, thats evidence that they come above ground. The moles probably come above ground mostly during darkness when you would never see them.

I also suspicion that the owls can hear moles digging near the surface, and fly down and grab them with their long sharp claws. I have seen owls dive into the snow and come up with a rodent, their hearing is excellent. I wish that I could hear that well...smile

[Louise Chambers]

Screech Owls are such neat birds, and they need cavities for nesting just like martins. Over the years the PMCA has received many reports of screech owls roosting in martin housing (they can get into standard round holes) and nesting in it as well. American Kestrels have also nested in martin housing.

We seem to get the most reports of screechies in martin housing from FL, with many reports of them using gourds. One landlord had screech owls nesting in one compartment of his T-14, and saw the owl shopping for dinner in the T-14 too! So he converted all entrances to SREHs, except for the owl's, which he enlarged slightly.

One more piece of information to commend the screech owl - in The Birds of North America species account, one citation noted that a screech owl cavity in Texas was densely packed with the wing covers of cockroaches (sound of standing ovation). No ortho or bug man needed They sometimes bring blind worms to their cavities to help keep the nest clean, and colonies of acrobat ants perform similar duties for the owls. Fascinating birds. RC, Mr Magoo is so cool! Did you put that box up for him or squirrels? Is it a winter use only or do the Magoos nest there as well? Friends in PA have screechies occupy wood duck boxes and kestrel boxes during the winter months.

Louise

[Guest]

I have screech Owl that stays in a nest box above my S&S repeater. He got trapped in it when I initially put up the trap but makes that mistake no more. He was released unharmed and does not bother my birds. I held him and he is a tiny thing. No longer than a martin....bulkier for sure but a lot smaller in hand than what they look like in a picture.
Recently I found one of the Owl eggs on the ground that I suspect a Racoon got.

[RC Moser]

Did you put that box up for him or squirrels? I had a great Crested Flycatcher box up that the squirrels chewed out. Seen the screech owl roosting in there way out back of my property. I put up a couple more and He moves occassionally from front to back and have even seen him with a gray female. But, they haven't nested out front. I think it too close to the front door and too open.

Moles/voles/shrews come out at night when the earth worms surface especially during wet weather. The also eat mice and maybe field rats, chipmunks according to my bird book. I know they occassionally catch titmouse and small birds, I some time see the remains when I snooping in the boxes.

[Guest]

The little Screech's occasionally take up residence in my wood duck boxes. I've had several to raise young in the boxes. They are extremely lethargic when you open the box in the daylight; even letting you pick them up without incident. I noticed last year the feathers of a cardinal in the box where one owl sat on several owl eggs.

Overall, not a serious threat I wouldn't think. Much more beneficial as a pest controller.

And for the record, Screech owls don't screech. They whistle/whinny. Barn Owls make the blood curdling, high-pitched screech that will scare the living daylights out of you. But they consume up to 3,000 rodents a year while raising a family, so screech on, Barn Owl!

[Veronica G]

Screech owls have been my favorite owl ever since I went to a raptor show and was informed that they eat cockroaches I hate roaches more than anything, well, except maybe house sparrows

[Carlton]

Years ago I had a concrete, loglike screech owl house mounted high in a tree. I checked inside once and was horrified to find a number of full wings of bluebirds. I never actually SAW an owl catch one of my bluebirds but there were the wings. Do screech owls bring the prey back to the nest to devour them or would the prey be eaten outdoors? There were no other bodyparts just wings. The house had a two inch entrance hole and this happened during the winter months up in Maryland. I did not have any starlings or any other birds of prey but I did hear owls each night.

[Bill Kepley]

Hi Everyone,
I have been enjoying your stories about your screech owls. I forgot to mention that I put up a box for them about 5 yrs ago, and never had any action with it. After seeing the one, I checked the box and there is scat on the ground under it. this morning I saw an owl in the box. I will try to get a picture of it . The box is in a pine grove 200 ft from the martin housing.
Last weekend I put the martin housing together and put sparrow spookers on the BB houses and now all the sparrows have disappeared. I have left the martin housing down so I can check the traps easier, but have not seen a sparrow near them. I did trap a BB in a repeater nest trap, and 2 starlings in another repeater. So far, the baited trap has attracted a woodpecker.
Still 2-4 weeks until the martins are due, but lots of other birding to see.
Bill

[Linda Reynolds]

Bill, how high is the house that you provided for them mounted?

These are adorable little guys and we were hoping they might find a home in our yard. One night we saw one sitting on the railing on our back deck, but have not seen signs of them since.

We have some wooden houses nailed to trees and are happy the BBs do not use them because of the possible predator danger of them being mounted on a tree. However, we thought the screech owl might give them a try, but now think they are mounted too low.

[Bill Kepley]

Hi Linda,
I used plans for the box I got from DNR, 8x8 , 12" deep, 3" hole. It recomended 15-30' high but I couldn't get that high so it is at 12'. Another source said that decidous trees were preferred over pine but pine is all I had. I put the house in a tree closest to the open field thinking that would give them a good chance to see rodents. Something has chewed the opening in prior years, but this is the first year I have seen an owl there. I haven't opened the box yet this year, when I opened it previously, the nest was very sparce, with no evidence of what had been eaten . This year there is lots of scat under the box and under other pines close by.
Now if I could get some bats to use my bat house.
Bill

[Guest]

Linda,

I've seen screech owls nesting in wood duck boxes on numerous occasions and they are never over 8-10 feet off the ground.

In fact, one of my local preachers had 2 duck boxes in his back yard and couldn't figure out why he never had ducks. A quick look inside revealed screech owl nests in both boxes. I gave him 2 more duck boxes mounted on one post and the ducks finally had a vacancy and nested.

[Julio]

Wow this is a great thread, i have a box mounted 15 Feet up. I have a question for you experienced owl landlords , the box in question has 5.75"X 6.00" internal dimensions 15" to the floor and has a 2" hole. Is this box too small for a screech Owls? I would love to host one of these fascinating birds.

[Guest]

My screech is in a "flicker" house that I got off ebay.
Have no idea the exact dimensions of my house (its been a while) but the average flicker house is supposed to be "7" by 7" floor, 16" inside ceiling, 2 1/2" diameter entrance hole located 14" above the floor "

When they are in there you won't even know it. I'll see them come out right when it gets dark. Right when it gets almost too dark to see them.
Mine is right off the driveway about 12 feet up a slash Pine and we don't seem to bother them. This is year 2 for them.

I got the sheet metal to put around the tree. Maybe that will help against any more coons.

[Guest]

I think a 2" hole is gonna be too small, Julio. Duck box holes are approximately 6". Plus, they like to rest in the entrance when there's nothing else to do.

Here is a pic of one I took last Saturday morning. Box is facing west and I've seen an owl sitting in the entrance of this one numerous times. The box is mounted about 6 feet off of the ground, on the lake bank. I was in my truck, looking slightly downward at the box.

http://www.yazoovalleywildlife.com/screech_1.JPG

The rest of your measurements might be okay, but most of the duck boxes I see them in are made out of 12" wide boards, which gives them an inside measurement of approximately 10" square. Height to back of box (sloping roof) is roughly 20-24".

Do I think they need a box this big? No, but they seem to like it.

[Spiderman]

We have a wood duck box in our front yard that is made of 2 X 12"s so the inside dimension are 10 X 10, with a 3" hole. It has had screech owls in it for years and they have produced young. We have Martins in the backyard and have never seen the owl in that area, have not had any Martins disappear. He wakes up at sunset and catches insects around a street light at the end of our driveway for food. Unless you make allot of noise during the daytime and wake him up you, would never know he was there.