Scouting, Volume 68, Number 1, January-February 1980 Page: 55
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Illustrations by Patrick A. Lynch
boldness, cunning, and savagery which
emulates that of its mammalian namesake,
the earthbound wildcat. A diverse variety
of animals are likely to wind up on the
Screech Owl's bill of fare. In woodland
and meadow the owl stalks small birds and
mammals. In town and city, the Screech
Owl may visit neon signs and other
brightly lit areas to pick off on the wing
insects which are attracted to the lights. On
occasion, a Screech Owl will temporarily
abandon its aerial domain and patrol
roads and playgrounds for small mammals
which have momentarily forsaken the
safety of their burrows in search of food.
Screech Owls have been known to wade
the shallows of a brook or pond to feed on
such aquatic delicacies as frogs, sala-
manders, and fish. Some habitually visit
bird houses to reach in and seize the occu-
pants.
Scouting January/February 1980
There have been reports of
bold exploits by Screech Owls.
That indefatigable compiler of
bird facts, Arthur Cleveland
Bent, described how one flew
down the chimney of a New
Jersey farmhouse, reached
through the bars of a bird cage,
pulled out a canary, and
promptly devoured it. Another
Screech Owl turned to winter
ice-fishing and made several
mile-long trips to catch horned
poult from holes fishermen had
cut in the ice. Driven by
hunger, a Screech Owl will prey
on larger animals such as
pigeons, quail, grouse, and
even occasionally the formida-
ble Norway rat. There is even a
record of a Screech Owl at-
tempting to make off with a full
grown hen which surely must
have been a supreme enterprise
for the hungry night stalker.
Most small animals such as
mice are swallowed whole,
usually head first, but large
animals like rabbits and
pigeons are torn apart. As in all
birds of prey, the meal is
quickly digested and the soft,
nutritious materials passed on
through the stomach. The un-
digested bits of fur, teeth,
bones, and chitin are retained
within the stomach, where
powerful muscles work to compact them
into a small, hard mass which the owl
regurgitates. Screech Owls may deposit up
to four of these pellets each day beneath
their roosting site. If collected and care-
fully broken apart, they will yield an
assemblage of skulls and feathers which
may be compared with illustrations in
field guides to identify the owl's diet.
Unlike most species of birds, which
migrate South in fall and return in spring,
Screech Owls are permanent residents of
the territory they occupy and may be
found within that same neighborhood for
months and sometimes years. Over a
three-year period I made frequent obser-
vations of one old, gray resident of a tall,
black oak sunning itself in the late after-
noon.
Generally, males occupy a particular
domain throughout the year while un-
mated females wander from one locale to
another. Although Screech Owls begin
calling in late fall, they are quick to answer
a challenge from another Screech Owl at
any time of the year. The territory
defended varies considerably in size but is
never less than several acres and usually
contains a number of favorite roosting
sites.
Screech Owls begin courting in late
winter, usually January or early February.
A male finds a suitable female in one of
two ways. Either he spends part of each
winter's night calling in an effort to entice
a female into his territory, or he actively
searches until he locates an unmated
female. Once he succeeds in finding her,
she becomes the object of his affection, but
not instantly. First, the male tarries for
several days near her roost watching her
from a distance. As the night of his in-
tended proposal approaches, he displays
increasing nervousness and plays the role
of a shy swain. As twilight gives way to
darkness, he leaves his hollow and
becomes the active suitor. He flies from
one perch to another, wooing the female
with passionate, and sometimes frantic,
wailing and trilling. The female usually
feigns disinterest and may even fly off a
short distance to another perch, while the
male continues to slip from perch to perch,
alternately singing and displaying, but
always getting closer. Finally he settles
beside her, awaiting a response. If the
courtship ritual is completed the two are
paired for life.
After mating, the female inspects likely
tree cavities within the territory and selects
one as a nesting site. The final choice
generally reflects the sites that are most
abundant in a particular area. Throughout
their range, Screech Owls have been found
nesting in a surprisingly wide variety of
places. In the Southwest deserts, hollows
or woodpecker holes in giant saguaro cacti
provide useful and well-protected nesting
sites. In parts of the Midwest where trees
are sparse, the bulky stick nests of magpies
and crows are occasionally expropriated.
In the eastern woodlands, in town parks
and cemeteries, and along tree-lined
avenues of cities and suburbs, a natural
hollow in an elm, sugar maple, sycamore,
or live oak is the most common choice for
a nest site. Screech Owls are also quick to
claim nest boxes set up for wood ducks
and squirrels, and (continued on page 68)
55
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 68, Number 1, January-February 1980, periodical, January 1980; Irving, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth353538/m1/55/: accessed April 20, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.