Barred Owl Hunting during the Day

[donnavee]

I was out doing the morning chores - fresh food & water, etc for the chickens & ducks around 10 am today when I heard a disturbance and saw all my birds head for cover. I looked up to see a barred owl fly up and perch in a nearby tree. After much yelling and arm waving on my part it finally left. Our chickens & ducks normally free range in a large portion of the woods and I have criss-crossed fishing line over part of it, which seemed to keep the owl from having his snack. I put everyone in semi-lockdown, restricting them to the more protected area and a good thing because the owl has come back twice, always perching in the same tree. I finally put my birds in complete lockdown as having that owl staring down at my birds is freaky.

I never realized owls hunted during the day, just hoping it gives up and finally moves on. My chickens seem much more aware of danger than the ducks.

 

[microchick]

Sorry, don't have to prove anything to anybody. I don't lie, don't like implications that I do.

 

[TehLizardKing]

Hmm.....wow...... that is so strange! I know for a fact that barred owls are almost nocturnal (they mostly hunt at dusk and dawn), and also, you were right to close the birds up, as they sometimes take ducks in the wild, not sure about chickens though? Is it definitely returning to the same branch frequently? because that may be it's favourite roost, and if it is, there is not much you can do to stop it unfortunately.

As long as there is a good supply of rodents and reptiles, you're birds should be ok. Your owl may even not be interested in the birds (I may be wrong of course) but it might just be new in the neighbourhood and wanted to check out the strange fat birds that patrol the forest floor. Listen to this, it may sound stupid, but it works for me! find an old potato sack, stuff it full of straw, and mould it into the rough shape of a chicken. Cover it with glue, and then feathers, so it vaguely resembles a bird. Leave it upright close to the owl's tree while the other birds are put away, and watch the magic happen! the owl will marvel at it's luck if it feels partial to a bit of chicken, and you will see it swoop down and savage the old potato sack. If it doesn't think of chickens as food it will not bother and go about it's business. Works every time for me! You will then know if it is safe for your lovely birds to resume their positions in the forest!

 

[microchick]

Won't argue with you Centrarchid. We had the photographed sequence of events and know what we saw in them. Others have seen it also and varified that we captured an owl hunting a squirrel. I stated that the hunt was documented by our game camera. Just because you didn't see it doesn't mean it didn't happen.

 

[jkah37]

Last night a big barred owl found it's way into my duck coop and killed one of my call drakes You can see his body, black and white speckled chest to the bottom left of the owl. I caught the owl in the act of ripping my drakes head off. What a terrible sight to see. It did fly off with it, struggled a bit at first but as it kept packing and eating it was able to carry it off. It also wounded one of my females. It got right into their coop with them. The female is ok, but they are all so traumatized. I feel terrible. I know it's the circle of life and we have had a harsh, cold winter here but losing a beloved drake just broke my heart. Hopefully the picture uploads with this.

 

[aart]

Hopefully the picture uploads with this.

It did.....great pic, terrible reason.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I think they will when they're hungry. I usually have one sitting in a tree next to the house (facing away from the coops luckily) most mornings.
About 4 in the afternoon one day I was driving up the road about 100 yards from my drive and a Great Horned owl flew over my car.

 

[donnavee]

They are beautiful creatures - just feel better when they aren't so close.

 

[donnavee]

Hmm.....wow...... that is so strange! I know for a fact that barred owls are almost nocturnal (they mostly hunt at dusk and dawn), and also, you were right to close the birds up, as they sometimes take ducks in the wild, not sure about chickens though? Is it definitely returning to the same branch frequently? because that may be it's favourite roost, and if it is, there is not much you can do to stop it unfortunately. As long as there is a good supply of rodents and reptiles, you're birds should be ok. Your owl may even not be interested in the birds (I may be wrong of course) but it might just be new in the neighbourhood and wanted to check out the strange fat birds that patrol the forest floor. Listen to this, it may sound stupid, but it works for me! find an old potato sack, stuff it full of straw, and mould it into the rough shape of a chicken. Cover it with glue, and then feathers, so it vaguely resembles a bird. Leave it upright close to the owl's tree while the other birds are put away, and watch the magic happen! the owl will marvel at it's luck if it feels partial to a bit of chicken, and you will see it swoop down and savage the old potato sack. If it doesn't think of chickens as food it will not bother and go about it's business. Works every time for me! You will then know if it is safe for your lovely birds to resume their positions in the forest!

I have always heard the Barred Owls in our woods but a safe distance away and normally evening or at night so it never worried me. Then the other evening as DH & I were sipping a glass of wine on the patio one flew right by us - but it was evening and everyone had already been put up for the night.

There is a creek that runs through the back of our woods - not where the chickens or ducks have access to - so lots of frogs and lizards around. In the tree where it was perching, there is a large nest which I'm guessing could be an old squirrel's nest. Not sure if maybe it was thinking about using it for it's own brood?

The potato sack thing sounds so crazy it just might work! Thanks for the tip.

 

[aart]

...... Listen to this, it may sound stupid, but it works for me! find an old potato sack, stuff it full of straw, and mould it into the rough shape of a chicken. Cover it with glue, and then feathers, so it vaguely resembles a bird. Leave it upright close to the owl's tree while the other birds are put away, and watch the magic happen! the owl will marvel at it's luck if it feels partial to a bit of chicken, and you will see it swoop down and savage the old potato sack. If it doesn't think of chickens as food it will not bother and go about it's business. Works every time for me! You will then know if it is safe for your lovely birds to resume their positions in the forest!

Really?!? have you tried this yourself??