What kind of owl is this? *photo*

[mrpekinduck]

Owls are so beautiful!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Owls are indeed magnificent, but to your chickens they are a dire threat. Unless you have an elf owl. Teensy little thing about the size of a sparrow.

 

[Nambroth]

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I don't want to dash your hopes at seeing a rare owl, but I am almost certain that (based on the photo in the original post) you were visited by an Eastern Screech Owl.

There are a few key identifiers, such as side, the texture of the facial feathers, eye shape, size, and color, overall body proportions, and some of the more subtle feather markings.

 

[Hens & Hounds]

That is indeed a long eared owl. It is most likely infected w/ West Nile Virus for you to be seeing it in the daytime. Because of the all the recent precip that the northeast has received there has been a outbreak of WNV in a lot of birds, especially crows, blue jays & all birds of prey. About a year ago we had a Great Horned Owl perched in a tree in our yard & I called the health department who gave me the number of a gentleman in my area who rehabilitates birds of prey & then releases them...which is less than a mile away!

now I know why we have so many of them every time of year not just migration season

When they are infected they DO NOT hunt, they won't eat or drink & they die. The man who came out to get my owl wore long leather gloves climbed the tree & had a cardboard transport box, he wiggled his one hand in front of the owls face while he grabbed the owls feet from the back w/ the other hand, the owl bit his gloved hand as soon as he realized he was being grabbed by the feet. I held up the box & the man put the owl in it. When he came down from the tree he then took the owl out of the box, covered its head & told me to feel its chest which looked fine to me but upon touching it through all the feathers it was skin & bones...he said it hadn't eaten in a while. He said he would start it on antibiotics & force feed it(tube feed) it ground up mice, etc...he said all that he rescues don't always make it....he treats all he gets calls for as WNV w/o sending the blood work to Trenton, NJ for testing as it costs $100.00 per bird & it is always WNV this time of year w/ birds of prey that are seen in daylight. So this may in fact be the case w/ youe long eared owl. Can you call your Health Dept, The Fish Wildlife Game Co or maybe a vet in the area who can advise/direct you to someone that can come out to your property & assess the situation? They are beautiful BUT deadly creatures....Good Luck!

 

[ll]

Thank you Hens & Hounds - and everyone else for posting too.
Eastern Screech Owl would definitely be in my area ... I looked at some photos.
The ears were SO long/high, about the same length compared to it's head and alot of white on it's chest.
Either way, I feel blessed to have seen an owl.

Would be nice if more good luck is coming my way!

I cannot call anyone about the owl because it flew away at dark, I guess to go hunt.
The next morning (yesterday) it was not in the tree.
If it was still there I would definitely be concerned because this tree has been next to my kitchen window for 15yrs and while there has been many nests built in it, we surely haven't had an owl perching in it before.
Just to be sure I looked again today - tree is empty.
Wow @ the Great Horned Owl that was saved in your yard, that must have been quite the sight to see!

 

[PoultryQueen29]

I'd say screech owl but I don't know of many owls. Just the most common ones.

 

[chkn]

That's a cutie. I love owls.

 

[centrarchid]

Eastern Screech Owl, red phase.

 

[dela1991]

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Have to agree with this one.

 

[1livelychick]

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I believe they are also called "Night Eagles" by the native Americans. Beautiful bird of prey!