Formidable Predators
There are around 250 species of owls found around the world, 16 of which can be found in Canada. Because of their excellent, hearing, and their quiet flight, owls are formidable predators. Find out what else sets them apart.
Night and Day
Not all owls are nocturnal. Owls have large eyes that are superbly adapted to see in low-light conditions. Most owl species are active at night, but others, like the Hawk Owl, are active during the day.
Second-hand Nests
Great Horned Owls don't build nests. They often take over a nest from another large bird, like a Red-tailed hawk, Common Raven or Great Blue Heron. They are territorial and will protect their nest fiercely. They won't hesitate to drive out anything they perceive as a threat!
Asynchronous Eggs
Some owls can lay up to 13 eggs. They incubate and hatch at different times, usually a day apart. With enough prey, all chicks may survive. But when food is scarce, there may not be enough for the others after the oldest or largest has taken what they need.
Birds of Prey
Owls use their hooked beak to tear chunks of meat from small mammals and rodents. Or, they swallow prey whole. Rodents, bats, birds, frogs, insects, crayfish, sometimes smaller owls—owls can eat lots of other animals! It often depends on what is available.
Winter Adaptations
Owls are warm-blooded. They generate their own body heat and use endothermic methods—panting, shivering, and sweating—to maintain body temperature. While all owls have downy feathers for insulation, many migrate to warmer wintering grounds to avoid the harshest conditions.
Owl's Flight (1996/1996) by Roelof IdemaCanadian Museum of Nature / Musée canadien de la nature
Silent Flight
Owls are uniquely adapted for stealthy flight. Unlike other birds, the edge of their flight feathers is lined with comb-like serrations. This adaptation helps reduce air turbulence and makes them virtually silent when flying.
Snowy Owl
Snowy owls have dense contour feathers that provide excellent insulation. Lemmings and voles are their primary food source during the breeding season. When conditions are right, Snowy Owls will stock up and may have caches with more than 50 lemmings waiting to be eaten!
Spotted Owl
Spotted owls are medium-sized nocturnal birds with dark brown eyes, a yellowish beak and brown feathers. Light spots adorn their rounded head and body. In mature, old-growth forests, they prey on small mammals, like flying squirrels and woodrats.
Burrowing Owl
Burrowing owls are long-legged, sandy-coloured birds that live in grasslands. While their nesting strategies vary depending on their range, in Canada, they nest in holes and tunnels burrowed and left by mammals. They also cache insects and rodents to eat in the breeding season.
Short-eared Owl (1966/1966) by John A. CrosbyCanadian Museum of Nature / Musée canadien de la nature
Learn More
There’s more to learn about birds and animals at the Canadian Museum of Nature.
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