Owl ID
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Guest
Without seeing the head and/or face, or knowing the size of the owl and the kind of call it makes, it's really difficult to know. What kinds of owl sounds do you hear? Any idea what the size is?
With the great horned owl, the typical voice pattern is hoo, hoo-hoo...hoo...hoooh
The barred owl usually has a call that sounds like he is saying "who cooks for you? Who cooks for you alllll"
With the great horned owl, the typical voice pattern is hoo, hoo-hoo...hoo...hoooh
The barred owl usually has a call that sounds like he is saying "who cooks for you? Who cooks for you alllll"
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Guest
Ahh. If it's the size of a pheasant, it most likely is not a great horned or barred owl (well a slim maybe on the barred owl 
), which seem to be the primary predators of martins out of the owl family. Based on the reddish underbelly, maybe it's the red morph variety of screech owls.
Screech owls have a loud "screaming"-type call, usually at night. As for barred owls, I usually hear them in the early to mid-morning, so be listening for their call high in the trees in the morning hours. Please let us know if you figure out what it is. I'd love to know.
), which seem to be the primary predators of martins out of the owl family. Based on the reddish underbelly, maybe it's the red morph variety of screech owls. Screech owls have a loud "screaming"-type call, usually at night. As for barred owls, I usually hear them in the early to mid-morning, so be listening for their call high in the trees in the morning hours. Please let us know if you figure out what it is. I'd love to know.
There's a photo of a Great Horned Owl in this PMCA article:
http://www.purplemartin.org/forumarchiv ... lreach.htm
The coloration looks very similar.
http://www.purplemartin.org/forumarchiv ... lreach.htm
The coloration looks very similar.
Not knowing the size of the device the owl's perching on makes it hard to get a relative size, but it sure looks like a Great Horned Owl.
Mike Morgan
2009-4 Pair,24 Eggs,23 Fledged. 12 Cavities
2010- 18 Pair, 96 Eggs, 86 Fledged. 18 Cavities
2011- 23 Pair, 113 Eggs, 99 Hatched, 93 Fledged 24 Cavities.
2012-22 Pair, 109 Eggs, 95 Hatched, 89 Fledged
2013-19 Pair, 89 Eggs, 77 Hatched, 77 Fledged.
2009-4 Pair,24 Eggs,23 Fledged. 12 Cavities
2010- 18 Pair, 96 Eggs, 86 Fledged. 18 Cavities
2011- 23 Pair, 113 Eggs, 99 Hatched, 93 Fledged 24 Cavities.
2012-22 Pair, 109 Eggs, 95 Hatched, 89 Fledged
2013-19 Pair, 89 Eggs, 77 Hatched, 77 Fledged.
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starling shooter
- Posts: 461
- Joined: Wed Nov 19, 2003 7:43 pm
- Location: Central MO
Two chioces..Bared or Great Horned. Definatley looks like a Great Horend to me....
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Guest
How can you guys tell what it probably is by looking at the butt end? 
I must be missing something. 
I must be missing something. You're not missing anything Lilyrose. Speaking for myself, I'm far from being an owl ID expert, and even less of one when only looking at the south end, of a northbound owl...lilyrose wrote:How can you guys tell what it probably is by looking at the butt end?
One thing that caught my eye, was reddish feathers right around the owl's rear end, and that the reddish area seems to stop right around the legs. That pattern seems to match the pattern seen on the GHO, in this PMCA photo:
I noticed you had indicated a possibility of it being a red morph variety of screech owl.
I'm definitely not an owl expert. I had just noticed the reddish "knickers", and thought that it looked similar to what I had seen in that PMCA photo.
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Guest
Hah!Matt F. wrote: You're not missing anything Lilyrose. Speaking for myself, I'm far from being an owl ID expert, and even less of one when only looking at the south end, of a northbound owl...
I was thinking that maybe i was seeing the photograph wrong, and there was a head that i couldn't distinguish from a butt.
The reason I mentioned the red morph of the screech owl was because the OP said it was about the size of a pheasant. I've never seen pheasants that match the size of a GHO, but I could be wrong. Thanks!
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Louise Chambers
- Site Admin
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- Location: Corpus Christi, TX
I think it's a great horned due to size - it is a pretty bulky looking bird, much too big for a screech. Also, that looks like an ear tuft at top, to me. Owl guards are needed pronto, hope you can get something on there quickly hoopsnut. Keep us informed, please.
Louise
Louise