The ghosts of our nights

 

One evening last week I was serenaded by a screech owl. It reminded me of how much I appreciate their call, something that could easily give goose bumps to the uninitiated.

Most people assume that all owls make a “hoot” call. While local owls such as the barred owl and great horned owl do that, the screech owl does not. 

The screech owl, despite its name, does not screech. Instead, it has a descending, mournful call that some folks describe as “whinny.” It sounds just like one would think a ghost might, or even perhaps a banshee, the mythical she-creature that foretells the death of a family member. Their calls can scare young children and will do the same to many a grown adult.

Sometimes, the quivering call ends with a sharp trill. Other times, you might hear that trill all by itself. The owls use that to define their territory.

Not only does their sound defy your expectations for an owl, so does their appearance.

When one thinks of an owl, they think of large birds like the great horned owl and snowy owl. Screech owls are anything but large.

An adult screech owl is only seven to 10 inches long. To put that into perspective, a mourning dove is 12 inches long from tip of the beak to end of the tail.

It looks like a third of the screech owl’s body is the head, which sports the traditional large owl eyes. Atop the head are 2 ear tufts, sort of like devil horns. Their feathers have a mottled appearance and there are two color phases of the same species: One is grey, while the other is a reddish chestnut.

In Allegany County, screech owls can be found almost anywhere there are large trees near open areas -- woodlots, orchards, farms, yards, and even in the village of Wellsville. They feed exclusively on rodents, such as mice and voles, so, areas where they are present in numbers, like dairy farms, can be havens for screech owls.

Large, older trees give them their homes, as they build their nests in the cavities of trees, not out on the branches or in a crotch of a tree as the great horned owl does.

If you don’t have any trees with large hollows in them, you can still bring screech owls to your lawn. A wood duck nest box is a perfect home and you will see many people put up one of these structures in their backyard just to attract screech owls. My parents have had some success doing this, and there’s not much cuter than an inquisitive little screech owl peering out of nest box to watch you.

You can sometimes find these critters during the day with help from some of your avian friends. If you see a mixed flock of songbirds like chickadees and blue jays being quite noisy, even scolding, about something in a tree, look closely. A screech owl may be close to the trunk, in a crotch, or hiding in spruce boughs. You will have to look carefully, as the little owls remain motionless and erect so as to not be seen. The grey phase especially can be hard to see because its cryptic colors make it almost camouflaged against bark.

If you hear one of these beautiful creatures at night don’t be afraid. Get out of bed, grab a flashlight, and see if you can exchange calls with him to bring him in for a close look. It’s an adorable sight that doesn’t match their spooky calls at all.