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Tawny owls do not take birds as commonly as mammals. Unlike the unrelated lineages of diurnal birds of prey, owls in general seldom prefer avian prey, with most varieties preferring small mammals and/or insects, except on a local basis (the closest to a specialized hunter of other birds are some in the pygmy owl genus).
This species can adapt to surprisingly small prey where it is the only kind available and to large prey where it is abundant. Eurasian eagle-owls feed most commonly on small mammals weighing 100 g (0.22 lb) or more, although nearly 45% of the prey species recorded have an average adult body mass of less than 100 g (3.5 oz).
The birds wait on a high perch at night and swoop down on prey. They mainly eat small organisms with a strong focus on small mammals in their diet. Swengel and Swengel (1992) reviewed ten studies that found northern saw-whet owls eating almost exclusively mammals (88% to 100%), with most of the mammals being rodents (85% to 99+%).
The report showed that the owls feed almost entirely on insects, other invertebrates and small mammals and thus posed little threat to game birds. [ 22 ] [ 23 ] There is evidence that from the 19th century little owls were occasionally kept as ornamental birds.
Its food consists mainly of rodents, especially voles, but it will eat other small mammals such as rabbits, [17] mice, ground squirrels, shrews, rats, bats, muskrats and moles. It will also occasionally depredate smaller birds, especially when near sea-coasts and adjacent wetlands at which time they attack shorebirds , terns and small gulls and ...
The Asian barred owlet is a small owl that sits at 22–25 cm (8.7–9.8 in). [3] The males weigh 150–176 g (0.331–0.388 lb) and the females up to 240 g (0.53 lb). [4] Like most owls in the True owl family, the females are usually larger than the males. [5] They are dark brown or olive-brown with a white throat patch and are densely barred. [5]
Similar to other owls, the screech owl females are larger than the males of their species. They have a compact size and shape. They are small and agile, and about 7 to 10 inches tall and have a wingspan around 18 to 24 inches. They have prominent, wide-set feather tufts with bright yellow/green eyes.
Japanese scops-owls live in forested habitats such as lowland forests, wooded plain and forested hillsides, as well as woodlands and mountains. [7] They can be found in habitats at elevations between sea-level and 900 meters. They can also be found in the parks and gardens of villages. [3] This species is resident, but it can do small-scale ...