Owls struggling to survive this winter....

Barred Owl

There have been several reports of owls being found dead this winter. While the causes are not always known, the most likely culprit is starvation. This winter has been particularly hard on wildlife that forages on mice and voles who live under the snow.  The snow cover this winter has been deep, and long lasting. The recent coating of ice makes it even more difficult. Owls hunt by using their incredible hearing and sight. Once an owl hears a mouse moving under the snow, they hone in on it and pounce with their talons. However, with a deep snow pack and a coating of ice on top, they are unable to break through.  Mice and voles are their main food supply, but when faced with starvation, they have been known to stake out bird feeders in hopes of poaching an unsuspecting bird.

Owls are typically nocturnal feeders meaning they feed at night. There have been numerous reports of owls being seen during the daytime. This is probably in response to the difficulty they have had finding food, they are forced to hunt longer.

There is not much that can be done to help the owls, nature will take its course. However, if you do find an owl that appears sick or in trouble, contact fish and game or a local bird rehabilitator.  If they get to them soon enough, they can be rehabbed and released back into the wild. We are not the only ones who can't wait for spring......