Help solving a predator mystery...

[ziggywiggy]

Quote:
OK, I did. I don't see any reputable evidence to back up your stance. I found these though... by searching on "Diet of Barn Owl"

http://www.owling.com/Barn_nh.htm
http://www.owls.org/Species/tyto/food.htm
http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/newsltr/v7n2/sa-9.htm
http://www.peregrinefund.org/explore_raptors/owls/barnowl.html
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barn_Owl/lifehistory#at_food
http://www.sentex.net/~tntcomm/kwfn/BarnOwlRecoveryProgrammeOntario.html

and specifically found quotes like this "Contrary to what is sometimes assumed, the Barn Owl does not eat domestic animals on any sort of regular basis; it might snatch a young chicken or guinea pig once or twice in its life, if at all."

on Great Horned Owls, I found these by searching on "Diet of Great Horned Owl".

http://www.owling.com/GHO_nh.htm
http://extension.umd.edu/publications/pdfs/fs802.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Horned_Owl
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/lifehistory#at_food

I'd be very interested in seeing any articles or valid studies that say that Barn Owls eat anything other than smaller rodents and indeed insects. Lets do this via PM though because we're really hijacking this thread from the original topic! (or else start a new thread about owls as predators!)

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Do_Barn_Owls_eat_chickens
Yes lets take this as a PM.

 

[PortageGirl]

OK, I looked at that, but that is one person with one anecdotal reply, we have no way of knowing if that person knows the difference between a barn owl from a starling. The list of reports I gave you are from accredited scientific sources, except for the one wiki source which while wiki can be entered by anyone, at lest that one post has references to verifiable sources.

Oh, and I thought we had already taken this to PMs since we've already traded several PMs except you've posted this back into this thread?

 

[ziggywiggy]

After spending several hours reading up on Barn Owls, I have to conclude that I was wrong and that the Owls I found in my coop were probably after mice. Nothing I read supports the theory that they will kill adult chickens.
I apologize for my rash judgement and lack of respect. I know we were going to keep this private but, my accusation was not private so my apology should not be private.

 

[ducklover15]

We caught a pretty large coon in a live trap yesterday. I mean this thing was HUGE!! It's possible it was the culprit since it was caught right next to the turkey enclosure. Hopefully now that we have one less coon in the area the turkeys will be a tad bit safer...