New Owl Needs a Name

Yesterday Tanglewood received a new resident- a beautiful Barred Owl (Strix Varia). He has been added to our now diverse collection of birds; we have a Broad-winged Hawk, a Great-horned owl, an African Gray Parrot and two Cockatiels. This new owl needs a name. Some of our birds came with their names like TJ and Spike and Petrie. Others the staff or kids named like Icky (Icharus) and Sophie. This one...who knows. I know our office manager is home working on some names, and my kids will likely have some suggestions after we visit the new little guy this weekend. If any of my blog readers have ideas, please have at it! I think ours is a boy, that is what the rehabber that dropped him off told us he was, but he is pretty big, so I am not sure. In raptors, the females are usually larger. Barred owls can be from 16-25 inches with a 36-50 inch wingspan and can weigh from 1 to 3 pounds. We will have to weigh ours soon and see where he falls.

Barred Owls are usually very vocal, although our guy hasn't said anything yet. He is getting used to his indoor cage since he spent his last 1 1/2 years in an outdoor enclosure. He will get both indoor and outdoor time at Tanglewood. This week though, he stays in where it is warm. I hope that we get to hear his voice sooner than our Hawk Icky's. It took him a year with us before he made any sound. Now he is a good chatterer, especially when his favorite volunteer GC comes. Barred owls call during the day and at night. Their call is a very distinct sound that people describe as sounding like "Who, who cooks for you-all?". Fittingly, during courtship they do Al Pacino from Scent of a Woman -"hoo-WAAAHHHH".

Our owl will eat thawed rats or chicks, but in their natural habitat they perch and then dive on their prey which includes voles, shrews and mice as well as the occasional bird. They may also eat reptiles like snakes and lizards. They can also eat frogs, fish, crayfish and insects. They have been known to be attracted to the light of campfires as the light also attracts large insects.

They are North American natives and they lay their 2-4 eggs in cavities in the early spring but will also use abandoned Red-shouldered Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Crow, or squirrel nests. The young leave the nest when they are about 4 weeks old but they can't fly. Instead they crawl out of the nest using their beak and talons to sit on branches and thus are called "Branchers". My favorite children's book, Owl Babies, was a story about 3 such "branchers"- Sarah, Percy and Bill. Eventually they will be able to fly and lose their down. When they do, you can't tell the difference between the adults and juveniles by looking at them. Barred Owl parents care for the young for at least 4 months, much longer than most other Owls and pairs mate for life .They stay in the area they have established as their territory/nests sites for a long time.

Barred Owls have been known up to 23 years in captivity and 10 years in the wild. We don't know how old our guy is, but hopefully we will have him for a long time. In nature, Great-horned owls and man are their only enemies. Poor little guy, he will live every day with both but we will take good care of him and introduce him to the thousands of children that Tanglewood educates each year.

If you want to help with our owl by donating for his care, you can send a check to Tanglewood donate online at http://www.tanglewoodnaturecenter.com/ or drop a check by in person and meet our newest educator!