Are they endangered?
No, they are not endangered worldwide. [IUCN Redlist: Least
concern.]
What are their
past/present problems?
Humans are the owl’s enemy. Owls are sometimes trapped or
shot. Pesticides [chemicals that kill pests] are sometimes used
to kill animals and insects that are owl prey. When the owl
eats the poisoned prey, they get poisoned, too.
What do they look
like?
These birds have dark brown backs and beige bellies that have
dark brown streaks on them. They have a raised brow, pointy
beak
and black eyes.
How big are they? Mottled owls are from13-15 inches long. If you spread out their
wings, they would be about 3 feet wide.
How many eggs do they
lay? The female lays 2 white eggs once a year. They hatch in about
23-28 days.
How long do the
fledglings stay in the nest?
The nests are holes in trees or nests left by other birds. The
babies [owlets] stay in the nest about a month.
When do they hunt?
They hunt at night (nocturnal).
What do they eat?
Mottled owls eat reptiles, insects, rodents [], and spiders.
Where do they live? They live in South and Central America and the U.S.
What kind of place do
they like to live in?
They like to live in forests and close to shrublands.
Interesting facts:
The nests might be low to the ground or high up in
trees.
They hunt along the edge of forests and in open fields.
They often catch prey while they’re flying.
Works Cited:
Alsop, Fred. Birds of North America. New York: DK
Publishing, 2001.
