Hootin' in the Holler: Owls of the Blue Ridge
A red morph Eastern Screech Owl.
In the Blue Ridge mountains, the dark cover of night is when the forests really come to life. Creatures large and small awaken to roam the forest floors and canopies, searching for their next meal.
One silent assassin reigns above all as the king of the night; the owl. Old folklore associations marked owls as creatures of witchcraft and omen, and kinder modern stories characterize them as having great wisdom.
Either way, the impression they’ve left observant humans with for centuries is one of great cunning. Fitting, as owls are some of the most skilled predators in the Blue Ridge. Their advanced hearing and large eyes make locating their prey a breeze, and their specialized wings that reduce turbulence make them completely silent. The prey of an owl never knows what hit them until it's too late.
Owls are a remarkable group of birds belonging to the order strigiformes, which is derived from the latin word for owl, “strix.” All of the members of the order strigiformes share common characteristics such as large, forward-facing eyes, a flat face with facial discs surrounding each eye, uneven ear openings, a sharp hooked beak, and a carnivorous diet.
The facial discs and uneven ear openings are crucial for the owl as these structures let them pinpoint the exact location of their prey. The facial discs funnel the sound of prey moving about in the leaf litter or under snow to the ears, which the owl can tilt back and forth to better determine where the sound is coming from.
Another important characteristic all owls share is the adaptation of their feather for silent flight, which is achieved through a combination of serrated ridges along their remiges (flight feathers) that reduce turbulence and velvety coatings on their remiges that absorb any remaining sound. The Blue Ridge is home to several unique species of owl, each with their own fascinating adaptations and behaviors.
Widespread throughout North America, the Great Horned Owl is an adaptable species that thrives in forests, deserts, and urban areas.
Great Horned Owl
The largest of the owl species in the Blue Ridge is the great horned owl (Bubo virginianus). With their brown and grey mottled feathers adorning their back and their dark barring across their lighter colored underside, the great horned owl is a striking bird that blends in with its surroundings very well.
Other characteristic features include a white throat patch that can vary in size and shape and the large ear tufts that give this owl its name. The great horned owl feeds primarily on small to medium sized mammals such as rabbits, squirrels, rats, and mice, but due to their large size they are able to take a wide variety of other animals including amphibians, reptiles, birds, and even other small owls.
A great horned owl’s main method of killing its prey is by crushing it on impact, using its full bodyweight to land on top of them. Their call is very recognizable as it is the most commonly used owl call in popular media. It is a low pitched “ho-ho-hoo-hoo-hoo,” which is where they get their nickname, the “hoot owl.” They have some slight variations to this call and can also make a wide variety of other sounds like screeches and squawking, particularly when they are angered or disturbed.
Barred Owls are originally native to eastern North America, but have spread to west over the years!
Barred Owl
The barred owl (Strix varius) is the second largest owl in the Blue Ridge, belonging to the same family, strigidae, but a different genus than the great horned owl. They are a brown to gray coloration with dark colored bars and stripes all along their body. Unlike the great horned owl, barred owls do not have ear tufts, giving their head a very round appearance.
Prey items for the barred owl include mostly small mammals and a small variety of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and some invertebrates. Similarly to the great horned owl, they use their body weight to crush prey from above, however due to their smaller size they also will resort to piercing their prey with their talons or breaking their prey’s neck with their beak in case they don’t kill it immediately.
The barred owl’s call is very recognizable thanks to the common pneumonic “who cooks for you, who cooks for you all.” This pneumonic reflects the sound of the call that goes “hoo hoo ho hoo, hoo hoo ho hoo ahh.” The phrasing of their call can vary depending on the signaling, either adding extra “hoos” or repeating the first half of the call multiple times. They also have a variety of squawks and trills that are used when they are disturbed as warning calls.
Eastern Screech Owl
The eastern screech owl (Megascops asio), like most owls, is easier heard than seen. They have an incredibly distinct call; a sort of high pitched, haunting whinny reminiscent of a tiny ghost horse. These owls are fairly small, significantly smaller than both the Great Horned and Barred owls. In fact, both larger owls would consider the screech owl as a potential meal!
Thankfully, the screech owl is an expert in camouflage, with two distinct color morphs to help them blend into specific habitats. The red morph eastern screech owl tends to be more common in the owls’ southern end of their range, where they tend to inhabit high elevation spruce forests and can blend into the reddish bark and branches of the evergreen trees. The grey morph is more commonly found in the northern side of their range, where forests are dominated by oak stands with bark that is more grey and brown in coloration.
Despite its small size, the screech owl is a mighty hunter, with proficient skills to take down prey of small rodents, amphibians, reptiles, and other birds. Screech owls stay in a home range year round, and will only leave their established territory if they need to seek food or shelter.
A Northern Saw-Whet Owl near Pisgah National Forest. Photo taken by Rob Rogers.
Northern Saw-Whet Owl
The smallest owl on the east coast, the Northern Saw-Whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) reigns as BRDC’s favorite local owl. These compelling creatures are pint-sized and shy, lurking deep within mature, old growth high elevation spruce and spruce-fir forests. These little guys are elusive, but are not rare, and have powerful voices.
When calling for a mate, a northern saw-whet owl’s repetitive whistling often continues without pause for over five minutes. Here in the Blue Ridge Mountains, our highest peaks provide key habitat at the southern tip of their year round range, meaning Saw-Whets will both breed and overwinter on mountains like Whitetop.
However, the owls that breed here are not the same individuals as the owls that overwinter here, because Saw-Whets are migratory birds. They are characterized by large yellow eyes that stand out from a pale, flat face and a mottled brown and white breast. Like any owl, they are succinct hunters.
Owl Conservation
The biggest threats to owls, and most wildlife, is habitat destruction and food chain disruption. Bigger owls are more likely to face the harmful effects of herbicides and pesticides accumulating across trophic levels, and owls with more specific habitat needs (like saw-whets living in high elevation old-growth forests) are increasingly sensitive to habitat changes.
All owls in Virginia nest in trees, but do not form their own cavities. Depending on the species, owls may nest in nests built by other birds, or in tree cavities dug out by woodpeckers or squirrels. Either way, owls rely on snags (aka dead, standing trees) with soft wood to provide shelter and a place to raise their young.
Protecting old growth forests that are characterized by an abundance of snags and downed logs protects owls, their nesting sites, and the habitats that their prey thrives in. Providing nesting boxes may also help certain species of owls, like saw-whets, that will take to boxes. Being conscious, informed naturalists and land stewards focused on whole-system sustainability is key.
