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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).
Owls are divided into two families: the true (or typical) owl family, Strigidae, and the barn owl and bay owl family, Tytonidae. [2] Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish. They are found in all regions of the Earth except the polar ice caps and some remote islands.
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.
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).
They eat small mammals, birds and large insects, and may take a variety of other vertebrates and invertebrates. Mountain pygmy owls occasionally take prey species the same size or larger than themselves (e.g. California quail); however, small to medium-sized birds and small mammals are the norm. They've been observed eating Wilson's warblers. [4]
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]
Scops owls hunt from perches in semi-open landscapes. They prefer areas which contain old trees with hollows; these are home to their prey which includes insects, reptiles, small mammals such as bats and mice and other small birds. The owls will also eat earthworms, amphibians and aquatic invertebrates. [21]
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 ...