Virginia's Most Mysterious Birds By Glenda C. Booth

n the dead of winter 2015, people The Owl Mystique see a few additional species, but there’s lined up spotting scopes all day The over 220 or so owl species in the never been a statewide survey of all spe- long just north of Reagan National world have intrigued people for mil- cies, says Jeff Cooper, a biologist who Airport’sI runways, transfixed by a snowy lennia. At times called “ghost birds,” specializes in raptor research for the De- owl (Bubo scandiacus) patiently perched owls are largely nocturnal and to some partment. Surveying owls is challenging. under arriving and departing planes. people, seem mysterious, stealthy, and Most are excellent at camouflage and Others stood for hours in JC Penney’s even spooky. They hoot, hiss, howl, primarily active at night. Springfield Mall parking lot where an- wail, yowl, and scream. To the Romans, other snowy owl sat on the roof for hours, owls presaged death. For the Greeks, Special Characteristics mostly immobile and unfazed by the owls portended military victory. Owls Owls have several special features or local “paparazzi.” are common nursery rhyme themes adaptations. Their satellite-dish-shaped In 2013-14, Virginia had what re- and school mascots. “Owls are icons for face funnels sound to their asymmetrical tired biology professor Clair Mellinger everything from potato chips to cigars,” ears, positioned to help determine where calls “a snowy owl invasion.” Snowies Virginia expert John Spahr says. sound is coming from. With supersensi- were recorded all over the state in “num- tive hearing, owls can pick up the sounds bers not seen in a century or more,” ob- Basics of prey rustling on the ground or a mouse served Bryan Watts. The year 2013 was Owls live on all continents except Antarc- digging under two feet of snow. “like a tsunami” that gave Virginians “an tica and are found in many habitats: sub- Unlike most birds with eyes on the adrenalin rush,” he observed in a William urbia, forests, farms, high desert steppes, sides of their heads, owls have large eyes and Mary College Center for Conserva- the tropics, and polar regions. The elf that face forward, like human eyes, and tion Biology blog. Ornithologists call this owl (Micrathene whitneyi) in the western probably ten times better. Their tube- phenomenon an irruption. United States weighs around 1.5 ounces; shaped eyes help them see faraway ob- Few people see owls in their life- the Eurasian or European eagle owl (Bubo jects. Owls have nictitating membranes times, so to see a bright, white Arctic bubo) can weigh up to 9.3 pounds. that help block dust. To see at their sides, bird in Virginia is a thrill for birders and Four owl species regularly nest in owls must swivel their heads, and most non-birders alike. Colin Surovell, then Virginia. Short-eared and northern saw- can turn their heads 270 degrees. age nine, marveled, “That snowy owl was whet owls, common winter residents, are Owls have comb-like, primary flight way cooler than a crow.” also known to breed in the state. People feathers on their large wings’ leading

© Ann and Rob Simpson

24 ♦ VIRGINIA WILDLIFE Bill Lea Bill Lea Bill Lea Shutterstock Shutterstock Ann and Rob Simpson © © © © © © Eastern Screech Owl Barn Owl Barred Owl Great Horned Owl Short-eared Owl Northern Saw-whet Owl

edges enabling silent flight and stealthy done nocturnal surveys and monitored Cooper surveyed barn owls for many from their “bars” or striped plumage. they’ve been called the “tigers of the sky” call sounds like sharpening a saw blade approaches. Their talons are curved and nest boxes in Highland County for about years in central Virginia and says they Around 21 inches in length and a as their deadly grip can sever the spine of on a whetstone; hence their name. They sharp, adapted to seize and squeeze prey. five years to understand the relative are relatively common in Orange and little over a pound, they are one of the any prey. are highly nocturnal and masters at Their leg and foot bones are especially distribution of the red and gray morphs. Culpeper counties. He installed nesting few owls that people see during the day, hiding from view. stout for landing hard on prey. He estimates that in Virginia around shelves in barn silos, monitored the birds’ but generally, they roost during the day Short-eared Owl The northern saw-whet is one of the An owl’s beak curves downward, un- 60 percent are red and 40 percent, gray. activity, and banded chicks. Cooper dubs and hunt at night. They tend to be in Short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) are most understudied birds in the state, like most other raptors with protruding “These projects have yielded hundreds of them “wacky birds,” because they can older forests but are highly adaptable to uncommon to rare in Virginia, but are says Dr. Ashley Peele, coordinator of beaks. Mice, shrews, voles, and small birds encounters with this attractive little owl have young at any time of year. varied habitats, including mixed forests known to breed here. They are most Virginia’s second Breeding Bird Atlas. are their most common prey. Adults eat and have given me some insights into the While some nest in natural cavities and disturbed areas. They appear to be often seen outside the breeding season, Jay Martin of the Blue Ridge Discovery their prey whole and regurgitate indigest- how, what, when, and where of searching in hollow trees or in river banks, like very tolerant of people.“Barred owls are in places like the UVA’s Blandy Experi- Center concurs: “Not a lot is known about ibles, like bones and feathers, as a pellet. for this species and potential breeding those of the Rappahannock River’s Fones the opportunists of the owl world,” wrote mental Farm in Boyce, in Tazewell, Cul- it in this range, this far south.” Virginia’s They can tear large prey apart, gulp down documentation,” he offers. Cliffs, Cooper says that barn owls are Leigh Clavez in The Hidden Lives of Owls. peper and Orange counties and at DGIF’s Wildlife Action Plan lists them as a Tier I, pieces, and take pieces to nesting owlets. almost solely dependent on artificial Saxis Wildlife Management Area, among Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Barn Owl structures. These can include barns, Great Horned Owl others. Their small ear tufts are often- in To better understand this little Virginia’s Owls Barn owls (Tyto alba) have a distinctive, abandoned buildings, church steeples, Great horned owls (Bubo virginianus) visible unless alarmed. Heavily streaked gnome of a bird, several Virginians are Eastern Screech Owl heart-shaped face, earning this species the bridges, and tunnels. Traditionally, have no horns, but with long feathered overall with a whitish face and yellow eyes banding saw-whets. Martin is surveying The eastern screech owl(Megascops asio) nickname “monkey owl.” They have a white “barns were easy for them,” but today tufts on their heads, an intimidating outlined in black, they are 13-16 inches the saw-whet population on Whitetop is one of the most common owls seen in underside, long legs, and several calls—a Cooper is seeing older silos with an open stare, and hooting voice, this is the owl long and weigh seven to eight ounces. Mountain and Mount Rogers, in coor- Virginia, “ubiquitous,” reports Spahr, bark, hiss, and click trill. They weigh about ledge at the top being replaced with tank- every schoolchild would likely draw if They prefer open areas like marshes, dination with DGIF and the U.S. Forest adding, “not that they are that easy to see.” a pound and are 16 inches long. type silos without ledges. Because of their tasked. meadows, and fields and hunt during Service. He gathers field data to eke out They are 8.5 inches in length and weigh Barn owls usually hunt over open declining population, the state lists the Among owls, they are big ones, at daylight flying low over the ground. the differences in forest types between around six ounces. Masters of disguise, fields at night. According to Cornell Uni- barn owl as a “Tier III, Species of Greatest 22 inches in length and three pounds in occupied and unoccupied habitat. He is the owls’ plumage blends in with the tree versity’s All About Birds, “The barn owl has Conservation Need” in its Wildlife Ac- weight. Considered to be widespread, Northern Saw-whet Owl also mapping breeding and wintering bark of the holes and hollows of trunks excellent low-light vision and can easily tion Plan. great horned owls prefer undisturbed Several Virginians are studying the state’s ranges. “The northern saw-whet owl is where they spend much of the day. Some find prey at night by sight. But its ability habitats and forests, but are also found most elusive owls. Northern saw-whet the perfect charismatic species to inspire are reddish brown, while others are gray. to locate prey by sound alone is the best of Barred Owl in wetlands, grasslands, and other semi- owls (Aegolius acadicus) are Virginia’s a broad range of people to appreciate the If you think you hear a horse whin- any animal that has ever been tested. It can Barred owls (Strix varia) are more heard open habitats. Because they have excel- smallest breeding owl. At seven to eight biodiversity of the Blue Ridge,” he argues. nying in the spring, it’s likely screech owls catch mice in complete darkness in the lab than seen, known for their haunting, bari- lent night vision and are superior hunters inches in length and weighing two to five Liberty University’s Dr. Gene pairing up, says Spahr. Their name comes or hidden by vegetation or snow out in the tone night call, “who cooks for you, who (they can take large raptors, skunks, ounces, they have bright yellow eyes and Sattle has banded over 400 migrating from their screeching call. Spahr has real world.” cooks for you-all.” They get their name rabbits, snakes, and even porcupines), a cat-like face. The male’s shrill breeding saw-whets near Lynchburg, and Clair

26 ♦ VIRGINIA WILDLIFE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 ♦ 27 MORE INFORMATION The Global Owl Project, www.biologicaldiversity.org Owl Research Institute, www.owlresearchinstitute.org Project Owlnet www.projectowlnet.org All about Birdhouses www.nestwatch.org © Maslowski Productions © Maslowski © Bob Schamerhorn Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas, Owls live among us whether we know it or not. Here, an Eastern screech owl sleeps camouflaged in a suburban neighborhood tree. Owls, such as this barred owl, are the only birds with silent flight making them adept hunters. http://amjv.org/vabba/getting-involved

Mellinger, a retired Eastern Mennonite the southern limit of where it winters in rodents. Some rodenticides can interfere University biology professor, has banded the East. It is an extremely secretive bird, with blood clotting and cause victims to over 1,700 saw-whets moving through highly nocturnal, and picks roosts hard bleed to death. At the Wildlife Center Virginia since 2001. His team catches to find.” of Virginia, screech owls are the most from 50 to 300 birds every November in Long-eared owls are around 14 common injured owl brought in, but the Rockingham County, with a five to ten inches in length and weigh from 7 to 15 center also gets barred, barn, and great percent recapture rate. ounces. Their populations have fallen an horned owls. In 2017, of 1,208 intakes, ten These biologists are analyzing mi- estimated 91 percent in North America percent were owls. gration timing, differences in magnitude since 1970, reports Partners in Flight. And there’s the information gap. Peele of flights among years, and differences in puts it this way: “Nocturnal species are a timing and movement among age and sex Challenges perpetual challenge for bird conservation. classes. “The exciting part is that there are Habitat loss and fragmentation and Many volunteers may not feel comfortable a lot more owls around than we thought,” human encroachment are the leading walking a trail or driving rural roads at says Mellinger. threats to owls. The habitats of mice, voles, night to listen for owl hoots or whip-poor- and other small prey—typically meadows, will cries. This means that, at any given A Rare Visitor fields, and grasslands—are vanishing. time, our understanding of the current At the Blandy Experimental Farm in Climate change is altering habitat, ranges, distribution and status of owls, nightjars, 2015, Judy Masi heard some “little birds and migration timing. or American woodcocks is incomplete going crazy,” says her husband, Dr. David Owls can be injured or killed as they at best.” She invites help in filling in our Carr, Blandy Director. Carr soon learned navigate the human-modified landscape. knowledge of what she calls, “Virginia’s that the birds were aroused by an unex- Many fly low over roadways or catch prey most mysterious bird species.” 1 pected visitor, a long-eared owl (Asio on roadsides, risking collisions with ve- otus) perched in a dense arborvitae near hicles. Because they hunt at night, they a building. The “Blandy” owl, presum- are hard for drivers to see. Owls can also Glenda C. Booth, a freelance writer, grew up in ably the same bird, returned the winter of collide with fences and become tangled Southwest Virginia and has lived in Northern Pusser Todd © 2016-17. “It is extremely rare to find this in the wire. They can die from ingesting Virginia over 30 years, where she is active in One of an owl’s challenges is crossing roadways hunting for prey. Here, Gary Williamson, a retired state park ranger, holds a great horned owl bird in Virginia,” explains Carr. “We’re at poisons used to kill rats, mice, and other conservation efforts. that didn’t make it. It is illegal to collect road kills of owls so, unless they are still alive and need to go to a rehabilitator, please leave them.

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