011721 Muskogee Edition, Birding Today

https://www.muskogeephoenix.com/news/birding-today-long-eared-owls-often-found-at-winter-roost-sites/article_9b15976b-650d-5f3f-b783-afb6152615d8.html 

Oklahoma Breeding Bird Species Profile: Barn Owl

An uncommon raptor that nests in old barns, caves, or occasionally dense trees and other abandoned structures, this night owl usually roosts during daylight hours.  Flying on silent wings, the solitary hunter glides over marshes, brushy areas, agricultural lands, and open grasslands of Oklahoma.

Generally heard only at night, the dark-eyed wonder tends to hiss and screech.  A ghostly appearing and silent bird, the ghost owl hunts for mice and voles and they are able to see very little movement in the night.  Since they can see in the ultraviolet spectrum, they easily observe the urine trail of rodents, which they are able to easily locate.

White owls swallow their mice, voles, or rats whole, then they cough up pellets twice a day.  One can earn a great deal from these pellets, especially ecosystems, which is another topic altogether.

                                                                       Barn Owl
                                                              Osage County, OK 2016

Surprisingly, the females are showier than males, making this raptor a dimorphic species.  A top quality female will be more reddish- and more heavily spotted on the breast.  This may have something to do with the fact that they are less susceptible to parasitic flies and other disease.  This quality appears to keep the male more attentive to the nest and it inhabitants when the young hatch.

Sweet heart owls become mature for nesting in their first year, so if there is an owl in your area and there is increased screeching, chances are good that breeding activity is in order.

Nest boxes can attract a breeding pair of these unusual owls, since they do not build their own nests.

This is a valuable resource for building nest boxes if you live in the right location or have access to one.  You could even donate a box to a bird rescue organization or a national wildlife refuge.  Loss of habitat always has a negative effect on birds.

https://modernfarmer.com/2014/05/build-barn-owl-nest/

It is imperative that in order to do their jobs effectively that mankind cease the use of rodenticides and other detrimental poisons to other living raptors.  Once in the body of the affected animal, the poison will not only eliminate the unwanted pest, it will also eradicate raptors such as these.  Help a Barn Owl and other birds today.

Oklahoma Breeding Bird Species Profile: Burrowing Owl

One of the most fascinating birds to observe is the Burrowing Owl.  A creature of distinct personality with much vitality and liveliness, this is truly a raptor that anyone would like.

These little owls are uncommon and localized.  They are found in flat, open areas, including short grass prairie.  They often reside with prairie dogs and ground squirrels, who dig their own burrows.

They hunt for small rodents, like mice and voles, and also enjoy insects and lizards.  Unless they are breeding or have young, they are solitary animals.

                                                                     Burrowing Owls
                                                                      Keys, OK 2017


What few groups there are reside year round in Florida, Texas, the Oklahoma panhandle, New Mexico, southern California, and Mexico.  Some will also migrate to portions of the west and even to southwest Canadian provinces.

The biggest enemy of the Burrowing Owl is loss of habitat.  Many prairie dogs were lost in the 1920s due to rampant pesticide use, which took away one of the owl's symbionts.

Through extensive research, enemy mammals of the species were found, and it was also discovered that they did well with manmade burrows.  Cameras are placed in and around these surrogate living spaces, which has shown scientists the hatching of their young and their private lives as a species.

Both male and female adults are the same size.  They are about ten inches tall and weigh roughly six ounces.  They are diurnal, and are found both on the ground or atop fence posts.  They use dung both in the burrows and around them to attract insects, which are used for food.  Known by some as the howdy owl, these birds sometimes appear to be nodding as a form of greeting.

Some Burrowing Owls even nest within manmade areas of cities, such as Tucson, Arizona.

There are two subspecies, Florida and the Western.  They are not difficult to tell apart, due to range, as well as the physical characteristics.  The adult Florida has a streaked crown and is darker brown with white spots.

What subspecies is this owl?

                                                                Burrowing Owl
                                                                        2018

Birding On a Shoestring: The Final Frontier On Southeast Arizona

                                                                       Cassin's Finch

                                                             Magnificent Hummingbird

                                                  Wild Turkey (Southwestern Subspecies)

  

                                         
                                                               Hammond's Flycatcher

                                                     Wild Turkey (Southwestern Subspecies)

                                                                                Lizard

                                                                         Elf Owl

                                                                      Ground Squirrel

                                                                        Gray Fox

                                                              Lucy's Warbler

This was the final several days of an exciting two weeks in southeastern Arizona.  If nothing else,
I learned that not all species that I wanted to see were available.  On other trips, I'm hoping for the
Elegant Trogon, more hawks and owls, woodpeckers, chickadees, jays, and pit vipers, as well as the gila monster.

I'm pleased with the number of hummingbirds that I was able to locate and photograph, getting about half of them on my first trip.

The climate was drier, not making it seem as hot, and I met some wonderful people along the way that I will retain contact with.

A large part of what I learned was about a non-profit greenhouse that also employs disabled people.
They have the largest number of native plants for Arizona and their honor is for the top spot in the country.  It gives me hope that Oklahoma will be able to support their own native plant community,
and perhaps have many more native birds as a result.

Even though this was a working vacation, it gave me many of the species that I came for, including
a few extra.  This is just the beginning of more trips to Arizona, to learn more about the varied
ecosystems and how they all work together in order to achieve a common goal.

There are many of you, but for now, I wish to thank Carol and Paul, Skye, Nate and Amanda, Janine, and many, many others that made this a trip to never forget.