Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!thunder.mcrcim.mcgill.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!usc!wuarchive!uunet!edsews!edsdrd!gss From: gss@edsdrd.eds.com (Gary Schiltz) Newsgroups: rec.birds Subject: Re: Bird feeding Station Message-ID: <323@dominion.edsdrd.eds.com> Date: 26 Apr 91 13:43:29 GMT References: <1991Apr15.225115.3695@jpl-devvax.jpl.nasa.gov> <7162@oasys.dt.navy.mil> Organization: Research and Development, Auburn Hills, MI 48326 Lines: 40 In article <7162@oasys.dt.navy.mil>, quezon@dtrc.dt.navy.mil (Quezon) writes: > > Not only do owls take song birds during the dusk or dawn hours, > but they will attack and consume other owls they may encounter > at night. For example, a Great Horned Owl or Barred Owl will > take any owl smaller than himself, such as Screech and/or Saw > Whet Owls. I remember calling owls in Manhattan, KS once. While we were listening to a Screech Owl calling, we heard a thud, followed by no more Screech Owl calls, followed by Great Horned Owl calls. We felt bad that we may have contributed to the little fellow becoming someone's meal. Now, when owling, I always quit calling as soon as I get a screecher to answer. > Great Horned Owls are known to have devastated Peregrine Falcon > hacking towers. If the owls find a hacking tower, they will > return night after night to attack and eat the Peregrines until > there are no falcons left or the tower is relocated. Great > Horned Owls can be a significant cause of failed Peregrine > reintroductions. This is, in fact one of the reasons Peregrines have been hacked in downtown Detroit -- the predation pressure from Great Horned Owls in the upper peninsula of Michigan was quite high. However, the Peregrines have been more successful in their natural habitat in Michigan than in Detroit, despite the pressure from owls. Although there have been at least one active nest in downtown Detroit, the eggs have been infertile. There is speculation that the gulls they eat along the Detroit River have too high a level of toxics. > A.J. Quezon > David Taylor Research Center ---- /\ What cheer, /\ | Gary Schiltz, EDS R&D, 3551 Hamlin Road | / o< cheer,