Q: I've seen an Owl, can you tell me what kind it is?

A: This is the gist of most of the questions I get. I would encourage you to try and find out yourself first, by visiting our South African Owl page. If you are still not sure, please send me as much information as possible. A photograph is extremely helpful. Essential information is: your country, state/region and city/town. Now, I live in South Africa and don't know every state in every country, so please do not abbreviate state names. If you don't have a photo, please be as descriptive as you can be. Things like size, eye colour, presence of ear tufts, beak colour, plumage colour and pattern help narrow down the possibilities!

Q: We have an owl visiting us now and then. I'd like to keep the Owl around, what can I do to encourage it to stay? Can I feed it?

A: The best way to encourage your Owl to stick around is to build it a house! We have an Owl's House in-a-box you can order for your convenience.  We don't recommend trying to feed them.

Q: I'd like to get rid of the an Owl, what can I do to make it clear off without hurting it?

A: This is a difficult question and there is no easy answer. WESSA of BirdLife SA might be able to help. Also check out the article on The Owl Pages on Hawk and Owl damage prevention and control methods. If the Owl is caring for young, we humbly beg you to let the young leave home before you try and move the parents on.

Q: The Owl is (sick, dying, injured, abandoned, possessed)], what can I do to help it?

A: Here are a few wildlife rehabilitation centers, contact them for guidance and assistance: Endangered Wildlife Trust, Free Me, Birds of Prey, Wings in Need, Moholoholo and the Kalahari Raptor Route. Also refer to our owls rehabilitation on The Owl Pages. 

Q: I took a picture of an Owl, can I send it to you to put on your site?

A: Yes, you sure can! We love to receive owl pictures from around the world. Visit the Contact page and send us your message and pictures. Also share your pictures and experiences on our facebook page. 

Q: I really love Owls, can I have one as a pet?

A: The Endangered Wildlife Trust shared the following: "All owls in South Africa are protected by legislation. The conservation authorities will only issue temporary keeping permits for owls if you are a registered rehabilitation facility and normally animals may only be kept for a maximum of 6 months and must then be released. None of provinces will allow the keeping of owls as pets. The majority of wild birds and animals are not suited to being kept as pets."  

Q: I already own an Owl, and am having trouble with Breeding, Incubation, Feeding, Health, Personal Hygiene, can you give me some advice?

A: No. we have no experience caring for Owls, our interest is wild Owls and their biology and natural history. If you like, you can join The Owl Pages, Owl Forum, where you will find others that share your interest.

Q: What do Owls eat?

A: Generally, Owls eat rodents, small mammals, and/or insects. Some species specialise in other food, such as fish. 

Q: I have a little [ cat, dog, ferret, aardvark ] as a pet, will an Owl attack and eat it?

A: The large Bubo species will occasionally take small domesticated animals as prey when their usual supply of pesky rodents is running low. The best advice is to keep your pet indoors or caged at night. You should keep in mind that domestic pets kill many native birds and animals each year, so keeping it in at night will also save some of these lives.

Q: How come Owls have such good hearing, eyesight? Why do they have flat faces?

A: The answers to these questions and more are in The Owl Pages, Owl Physiology section.

Q: Why do Owls Hoot?

A: Firstly, you should realize that not all Owls hoot. Have a listen at the Owl Calls Gallery, and you will see just how many different sounds Owls make. Owls call for the same reason as any other critter makes noises - to communicate. A call may be territorial, thus warning others to stay away, or it can be to contact a mate or young, or advertise availability for breeding...

Q: What is a group of Owls called?

A: A group of Owls is called a parliament. This is the most popular and accepted term, but we have also heard other expressions: bazaar, brood, congress, diss, eyrie, glaring, hooting, looming, nest, sagaciousness, stare, stooping, and wisdom.
There are also more terms we've heard, such as silence (when in flight), stable (Barn Owls), jail (Barred Owls), prohibition (Barred Owls), schizpphrenia (Hawk Owls), volery (Little Owls) and blizzard (Snowy Owls).

Q: What is a baby Owl Called?

A: A baby Owl is called an Owlet. This word is also sometimes used for some of the smallest species of Owls.

Q: What is a female Owl called?

A: We are not aware of a particular word for a female Owl. We have heard the term 'hen' used, but this is a generic term for a female bird, and not specific to Owls.

Q: Do Owls hibernate?

A: No, Owls do not hibernate.

Q: What continent can't you find Owls on?

A: Antarctica

Q: Can you send me some Owl facts?

A: Probably another school project question. You are best starting your research in Wikipedia, you will find plenty interesting Owl facts there.

Q: What is the biggest or largest Owl in the world?

A: Opinions differ on this question. General consensus points towards the Eurasian Eagle Owl, which is the largest in weight and average length. Some sources say it is the Great Gray Owl, as some have quite a big overall length. It should be noted that much of the bulk of the Great Gray Owl is due to it's generous plumage. Also worth a mention is the little known Blakiston's Fish Owl which has unpublished average and maximum weights exceeding the Eurasian Eagle Owl.

Q: What is the smallest Owl in the world?

A: There are also different opinions on this question. Some sources say it is the Least Pygmy Owl, others say it is the Elf Owl. The smallest overall length measurement we are aware of was published in the Elf Owl book "North American Owls; Biology and Natural History" by Paul Johnsgard, it measured at 10.5cm.

Q: How many species of Owls are there in the world?

A: This depends on which authors and biologists you agree with. Here is a list of Owl species in BirdLife International.

Q: Hey, I e-mailed you months ago, and you never answered! What gives?

A: 1) Either your question or my answer got gobbled up by a spam filter.
2) I've lost your e-mail in my system's folders somewhere!
Please try again, use a different email account if you have one.

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