A focus on raptors (part two)
Frances Legault's Birds in the Neighbourhood column focuses on Owls and Eagles
This edition of Birds in the Neighbourhood is part two of a special focus on raptors, also known as birds of prey, which thrive near our beautiful watersheds and in our woodlands.
The second category is owls, and the third group includes eagles. These photos were taken mostly in the Ottawa area, and a few are from Lac Sainte Marie, QC.
Owls
Owls are among the most majestic birds in Ontario and a symbol of the wise. They are nature’s pest control system, feeding primarily on rodents. Because of habitat loss and human conflict, some owl species are at risk.
While the most common injury to Owls is collisions with cars, poison has become a concern with all birds of prey. An Ontario research study found over 62 percent of birds tested had some level of rat poison.
Owls are so popular that birdwatchers have an understanding not to report their exact location in order to prevent others from disturbing them.
Barred Owl
Barred Owls nest in tree cavities and are one of the most common raptors found in our area year-round. Their name derives from the horizontal stripes of alternating light brown and dark brown on their wings, back, and tail. These raptors have distinctive brown eyes and lack ear tufts. They are inquisitive and will often stay and watch you as walk past. Barred owls prey primarily on mice and other small rodents. You can hear their call any time of day, which makes them easy to spot. The Barred Owl’s most serious predatory threat is the Great Horned Owl.
Northern Hawk Owl
Northern Hawk Owls are compact, medium-sized owls with bright yellow eyes, broad vertical black stripes down either side of their faces, black chins, and no ear tufts. They have more pointed wings and longer tails than other North American owls. They look like an owl but act more like hawks; they sit solitary in tall trees and hunt during the day, unusual traits in owls.
The Northern Hawk Owl can detect prey by sight up to half a mile away. They inhabit the northern boreal forests and are rare visitors to the Ottawa region, appearing sporadically in winter, spring and autumn, but almost never in summer.
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owls are considered to be the most beautiful raptor in Ontario. Thick feathers for insulation from Arctic cold make them North America’s heaviest owl. They are easily identified by their distinctive white plumage. Snowy Owls are mostly white, but they do have horizontal dark lines all over their bodies except the face and breast. They have no ear tufts. Their hoot is very loud and can be heard for miles as they hunt in wide-open spaces.
Snowy Owls migrate with the changing seasons. During the summer, they mate and breed in the circumpolar arctic tundra. Most winters, Snowy Owls appear only as far down as the northern U.S. In some years, there is an “irruption” of Snowy Owls, when an exceptionally large number of birds migrate south.
Eagles
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle has long been a sacred spiritual symbol for indigenous people, representing strength, wisdom, courage, and a connection to the Creator. It lives year-round in the United States, where it has been the national symbol since 1782. During summer, these large birds of prey are now quite prevalent in Ontario.
Bald Eagles almost went extinct due to DDT poisoning. When I lived in B.C. in the 1990s, several bald eagles were poisoned by pesticide use on farmlands. After years of dedicated conservation work, they have recovered and are a true success story. In May 2023, the Ontario government officially declared the Bald Eagle’s recovery, and the species is no longer on the provincial endangered species list.
Since Bald Eagles eat primarily fish, the best areas for viewing these raptors are large bodies of water that provide good fishing, surrounded by forests with tall trees for nesting sites.
The adults are easy to identify with their white-feathered heads and tail, and large yellow beak in contrast to their chocolate-brown body and wings.
The juvenile Bald Eagle is dark brown and takes 5 1/2 years to gradually change to its adult plumage.
References
Peterson Field Guide: Birds of Eastern and Central North America, The Raptors
Special thanks to our featured photographers for this column: Sam Armstrong and James Cohen, both avid bird photographers. Thanks also to Christine Hanrahan for her expertise in birds.
Bird photos are welcome anytime. Please submit to flegault52@gmail.com.
Editor’s note: In Canadian Press style, and most other newspaper styles, bird names aren’t capitalized. However, in keeping with standard ornithological practice, English bird names are capitalized in this column.