Great Horned Owl adult and two owlets, 2018. More photos here.
I recently woke (about 5 AM) to the call of a Great Horned Owl. This is the easiest owl to identify because of its ear tufts. However, because I heard it before dawn, I could not get a photograph.
Pat recently saw a Barred Owl in the neighborhood while walking - likely the one many of us have sighted or heard in the last half year. Here is its call.
And, I occasionally hear the call of the Eastern Screech Owl. (Tell me if you ever hear its call.)
All this (Wildewood owl sightings and sounds) is good news. Joel Satore, an inspiration to create this website, says that "a healthy owl population is a sign of a balanced ecosystem. (Follow him on Instagram.)
In order for owls to thrive, populations of the species they prey upon must be abundant and healthy as well - a pattern that continues down the entire food chain. This means that if the health or number of prey species declines, something in the environment has changed and is altering the natural structure of the food web. A world without owls would spell trouble for humans, as their role as a top predator of rodents protects us from the spread of diseases and protects our crops from being raided."
