Western Screech Owl

1/500s at f13.0, ISO:500, Canon EOS-1D X, EF800mm+1.4x III converter


In the image above and the following 8 images displayed, it shows what happens after a meal. Most of the unfortunate animal is digested, but the parts that can't be broken down such as bones, fur, and feathers are regurgitated as a hard lump, called a "pellet," a few hours after the owl's meal. The western screech owl is native to Canada, United States, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador Honduras, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. Its Habitat includes temperate forests, subtropical and tropical montane forests, shrubland, desert, rural fields, and even suburban parks and gardens. They are permanent residents of the northwest, North and Central America breeding in open woods or mixed woods at forest edges. They often use holes in trees or cacti that were opened by woodpeckers. These birds wait on perches to swoop down on unsuspecting prey; they may also catch insects in flight. They are active at dawn, night, or near dusk, using their excellent hearing and night vision to locate prey. Their diet consists mainly of small mammals such as mice or rats, birds, and large insects; however they are opportunistic even taking small trout at night. Motion-activated cameras have photographed the birds eagerly scavenging a road-kill opossum. They have also been known to hunt Mallard ducks and cottontail rabbits. It is synchronized with the spring migration of birds; after migrants pass through screech-owls take fledglings of local birds.
San Pedro House, AZ
 
01/31/2020