Outdoors/Adventure

Tiny boreal owls hard to spot, but easy to hear

DONNELLY FLATS — Po-po-po-po-po-po came the rapidly repeated low whistling. I recognized the sound immediately — the call of a northern boreal owl. These tiny Alaska owls begin calling now and their voices are common during the night until early spring. One hardly ever sees the little guys. They're around throughout the year, but since they are nocturnal and not city birds, the opportunities to become familiar with them are limited.

Once in Paxson, my wife and I came home to find one in our storage shed. The shed was open on the side facing the driveway. Our truck headlights lit the building. A small boreal owl sat perched on the handle bow of a dog sled.  He let me get quite close, and I was able to get several decent photos. I recognized the owl as a male because of his extra small size. Males of this species weigh less than 4 ounces; females are almost twice that big.

Undoubtedly this owl had detoured into our yard to feed on dog-food-thieving voles. Years spent in the woods have allowed me very few sightings. I once caught a boreal owl in a marten trap, where he had likely come to feed on the shrews that were eating the trapping bait. I had another land on my head while working late in the garage one spring.  During the day, they roost near the tops of spruces — close to the trunk. Try to spot one then.

Mostly monogamous

Boreal owls nest in tree cavities, preferring old woodpecker holes. They will utilize nest boxes, too. Should one live near the outskirts of town, near heavy spruce, a box might draw them in. Males pick the nest locations, generally in April or May, and begin calling.

As with most owls, boreals are monogamous. However, if mice are plentiful, promiscuity is not out of the question. Voles are the main food, though these owls take a fair number of shrews and mice when available. Occasionally, they might get one of those pesky red squirrels.

Three to seven eggs are laid, and incubation takes about a month. Only the female sits, though both parents feed the chicks. The babies are out of the nest in another month, but they still hang around nearby and squawk for mom and dad to feed them. If you are lucky enough to have an active nest box or an old northern flicker hole near your house, expect plenty of boreal owl time.

Finding a nest in the woods is not difficult for those willing to spend the time. Look in old growth forests for dead trees. Try to spot a flicker or woodpecker hole. Near the base of a tree with an owl nest, you'll find small piles of regurgitated pellets — the undigested bones and hair of the owls' prey. Small pellets mean tiny owls.

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Interesting ears

Boreals have few predators. Marten are their main nemesis, and smaller falcons may get a few of the fledglings.  During poor vole years, the survival rate of first-year young may be poor due to undependable food sources.  The owls don't truly migrate, but they may move to follow food, even eating grasshoppers when necessary.

These owls have an interesting physical modification that helps them locate their prey.  Boreal owl ears are asymmetrical.  One ear opens high on the side of the skull and the ear opening on the other side opens much lower.  This helps them gauge both height and distance to prey.  Their ears are sensitive enough to allow them to hear mice under the snow and hidden in the grass.

The repeated po-po-po-po sounds you may hear in spring sound like the winnowing noise a common snipe makes with its wings. But wait, it isn't that warm yet.

John Schandelmeier is a lifelong Alaskan who lives with his family near Paxson. He is a Bristol Bay commercial fisherman and two-time winner of the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race.

 
 

John Schandelmeier

Outdoor opinion columnist John Schandelmeier is a lifelong Alaskan who lives with his family near Paxson. He is a Bristol Bay commercial fisherman and two-time winner of the Yukon Quest.

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