Barred owls and eastern screech owls are both owl species found in overlapping ranges across eastern North America. As predators, owls have diverse diets and may sometimes prey upon smaller owl species. So an important question is: do barred owls eat eastern screech owls?
Quick Answer
Yes, barred owls are known to prey upon eastern screech owls at times. Barred owls are larger and more aggressive than eastern screech owls, giving them the ability to overpower and eat the smaller species. However, eastern screech owls make up a very small portion of the barred owl’s overall diet.
Diet and Hunting Behavior of Barred Owls
Barred owls are opportunistic predators and have a varied diet. They hunt mainly at night and prey upon small mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish and invertebrates. Typical mammalian prey includes voles, mice, rats, squirrels, rabbits, opossums and shrews. Avian prey is also diverse, including woodpeckers, grouse, quail, jays and smaller owl species. Barred owls are adept hunters in both open and dense wooded areas.
They hunt mainly by perching and swooping down on prey. But they also watch from perches and fly through the woods in search of prey. Barred owls may even wade into shallow water to catch fish and crayfish. Being opportunistic predators, barred owls will eat whatever prey is readily available and vulnerable.
Habits and Behaviors Allowing Barred Owls to Prey on Eastern Screech Owls
There are a few key reasons why barred owls are able to prey on eastern screech owls:
- Larger size – Barred owls are significantly larger than eastern screech owls, with more powerful talons and greater physical strength.
- Aggressive nature – Barred owls are bold and aggressive; they will pursue smaller owl species.
- Overlapping ranges – Barred and eastern screech owls share much of the same territory across eastern North America.
- Nocturnal activity – Both species are active at night when eastern screech owls are vulnerable.
- Stealth hunting – The silent flight of barred owls allows them to ambush eastern screech owls.
The combination of these traits enables barred owls to overpower eastern screech owls when given the opportunity. The smaller screech owls are essentially defenseless against the much larger barred owls.
Diet and Hunting Behavior of Eastern Screech Owls
In contrast to the bold and aggressive barred owls, eastern screech owls are timid birds that prefer to avoid confrontation. They hunt from perches in semi-open woodlands and wooded suburban areas. Their diet consists mainly of small rodents, along with insects, reptiles, amphibians, small birds and fish.
Eastern screech owls hunt by waiting motionless on a perch until prey is spotted. Then they swoop down to grab the prey in their talons. With their passive nature and small size, eastern screech owls are vulnerable to larger, more aggressive raptors like barred owls. They do not have strong defenses against being preyed upon themselves.
Behaviors Making Eastern Screech Owls Vulnerable
Here are some key reasons why eastern screech owls are vulnerable to predation from barred owls:
- Small size – Screech owls are significantly smaller with less strength to fight back.
- Timid nature – They avoid conflicts with larger birds when possible.
- Nocturnal activity – Active at night when barred owls are also hunting.
- Open perch hunting – Sitting exposed on perches where they can be ambushed.
- Limited defenses – Weak talons and beaks make them unable to effectively fight back.
Together, these qualities make eastern screech owls susceptible to becoming prey for aggressive barred owls that share their range and habitats.
Observations and Evidence of Barred Owls Eating Eastern Screech Owls
There are some documented observations that provide evidence of barred owls preying upon eastern screech owls:
- Barred owl stomach contents showing the remains of eastern screech owls.
- Barred owls captured on camera carrying dead eastern screech owls.
- Eastern screech owl populations declining as barred owls move into their range.
- Eyewitness accounts of barred owls ambushing and killing eastern screech owls.
- Barred owl nests containing the bands and tags of banded eastern screech owls.
While not a primary food source, the available evidence clearly shows that barred owls do sometimes prey upon eastern screech owls. The interactions typically involve a larger barred owl ambushing and overpowering the smaller screech owl.
Documented Observations
Here are a few specific documented observations showing barred owls eating eastern screech owls:
- A 1979 study examined 263 barred owl stomachs, finding remains of eastern screech owls in two samples.
- A barred owl was photographed in Minnesota in 2006 carrying a freshly killed eastern screech owl.
- A 1990 study reported a barred owl killing an eastern screech owl at a nest site while the female screech owl defended her nestlings.
- Barred owl nests have been found containing bands from eastern screech owls that had been tagged and studied.
Frequency and Impact on Eastern Screech Owl Populations
Although barred owls do prey on eastern screech owls, screech owls make up a very small portion of the barred owl’s diet. One study found screech owl remains in less than 1% of barred owl stomachs analyzed.
So while barred owls are certainly capable of eating eastern screech owls, they do so infrequently and opportunistically. The impact is likely minimal on overall eastern screech owl populations.
However, in localized areas where barred owl populations are high, predation may put greater pressure on eastern screech owl numbers. There is some evidence of screech owl declines in areas colonized by barred owls.
Estimated Frequency
Based on available data, barred owls likely prey on eastern screech owls in less than 5% of interactions between the two species. Most evidence indicates eastern screech owls make up far less than 1% of the barred owl’s diet overall.
Factors Affecting Impact on Screech Owl Populations
The degree of impact from barred owl predation depends on several factors:
- Density of barred owls in the area – more barred owls means more frequent predation
- Availability of alternate prey – fewer options makes screech owls more targeted
- Habitat loss – deforestation gives barred owls a greater advantage
- Screech owl defenses – healthy adults are less vulnerable than nestlings
- Time of year – nesting season makes screech owls more exposed
In healthy eastern forests where both owls exist, the effects of limited barred owl predation are likely negligible. But in disrupted habitats or locally imbalanced owl populations, barred owl predation could contribute to screech owl declines.
Prey Base Relationships Between the Owls
There is some degree of overlap in the prey consumed by barred owls and eastern screech owls. Both are known to eat mice, voles, shrews, rats, bats, rabbits, squirrels, and similar small mammals. However, their prey bases are not identical.
Summary of Prey Base Overlap
Prey Type | Eaten by Barred Owls | Eaten by Eastern Screech Owls |
---|---|---|
Small rodents | Yes (majority of diet) | Yes (majority of diet) |
Insects | Yes (minority of diet) | Yes (sizeable minority) |
Other birds | Yes (minority) | Rarely |
Amphibians/Reptiles | Yes (minority) | Yes (minority) |
Fish | Yes (minority) | Rarely |
There is moderate overlap in the types of small prey consumed. But barred owls take a wider range of prey and consume more birds and aquatic prey. This may reduce competition between the two owl species.
Differences in Prey Size
Barred owls also tend to take larger prey on average. A barred owl may eat a squirrel or adult rabbit, while a screech owl takes mice, voles and insects. The larger barred owls can hunt bigger prey than the more petite screech owls.
These differences in prey size and breadth of diet likely prevent the two owl species from being in direct competition with one another, despite overlapping ranges and moderate similarities in prey base.
Habitat and Range
Barred owls have a very large range across eastern North America. They inhabit continuous expanses of mature forest as well as patchy woodlots. Eastern screech owls occupy a similar range and an even broader variety of wooded habitats.
Barred Owl Habitats
Barred owls occur in these habitat types:
- Old growth forests with a closed canopy
- Swamplands with dense tall trees
- River bottom forests
- Pine and mixed forests
- Parks and wooded suburban areas
They require fairly large tracts of woods but readily adapt to fragmented wooded areas as territory size can be as small as 1/2 mile across in urban settings.
Eastern Screech Owl Habitats
Eastern screech owls use these habitats:
- Open and semi-open deciduous woods
- Riparian woodlands along streams
- Orchards and wooded farmlands
- Parks, woodlots and suburban areas
- Swamps and bottomland woods
Screech owls do well in fragmented wooded areas and only require small territories of about 1/4 mile across. They readily inhabit suburban parks and yards.
Range and Habitat Overlap
Both species have huge overlapping ranges across eastern North America from southern Canada to Florida to the Great Plains. They coexist in many of the same forest types, though barred owls use more extensive mature forests while screech owls use more patchy woods and suburban areas.
This extensive overlap in range and habitat is what allows barred owls frequent opportunities to prey on eastern screech owls where they co-occur.
Hunting Pressure and Competitive Exclusion
There are concerns that expanding barred owl populations have increased predation pressure on eastern screech owls. Some forest managers have considered steps to protect screech owls.
Increasing Barred Owl Populations
Several factors have caused barred owl populations to increase and expand their range since the 1900s:
- Maturation of eastern forests provided more habitat
- Adaption to wooded suburban areas increased range
- Lack of natural predators allowed growth
- Abundant prey such as tree squirrels boosted populations
These growing barred owl populations have put pressure on eastern screech owls through elevated rates of predation, as well as possible competition for prey and nesting cavities.
Concerns Over Competitive Exclusion
There are concerns that the pressure from expanding barred owl populations could lead to localized extinction or competitive exclusion of eastern screech owls from parts of their range. This may necessitate habitat management or barred owl population control in areas where screech owl declines are detected.
Options for Reducing Threats to Screech Owls
Some options forest managers could consider for reducing threats to eastern screech owls include:
- Creating more open understory habitat favored by screech owls
- Installing screech owl nest boxes in areas with limited natural cavities
- Selective thinning to disrupt the dense woods preferred by barred owls
- Targeted barred owl removal in isolated areas of concern
A balanced habitat management approach can aim to reduce predation risks and competitive pressure on eastern screech owls from expanding barred owl populations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, barred owls are clearly documented to prey upon eastern screech owls in limited cases where the two species overlap. However, screech owls make up a very small percentage of the barred owl’s overall diet.
The impacts on screech owl populations are likely minimal in most regions, except for localized areas with high barred owl densities or disrupted habitat. Habitat management and barred owl population control in isolated cases may help reduce predation and competitive risks to eastern screech owls.
While barred owls do opportunistically eat eastern screech owls, the behavior is relatively uncommon. The two species have historically coexisted across most of their range with no major conflicts. So in most cases, barred owls eating eastern screech owls is a relatively minor concern.