Yes, Owls eat birds. Owls can adapt their hunting methods to suit the prey they are hunting. Although small birds can be taken in mid-air by large owls such as Great Horned Owl, not all owls hunt birds. Small owls, like Elf Owl, try to avoid hunting birds and instead hunt other prey.
Birds are not a favorite food for owls, therefore, they rarely hunt birds like meadowlarks and starling. Owls can adapt to any food available in their environment, so their diet is varied. To determine an owl’s diet we must consider its habitat and size.
Why Do Owls hunt other birds ?
Owls don’t care about whether feathers are on an animal. They will eat any bird they can. Sometimes, Owls larger than others will eat smaller birds.
Birds aren’t a major part of an owls diet. They are eaten in a small amount. These are the most common kinds of birds that barn owls eat:
- European Starling
- Yellow Headed Blackbird
- Meadowlarks
- Res-Winged Blackbird
- Marsh Wren
In North America, barn owls prey mainly on voles. They are most often found in the southeast United States eating cotton rats.
They can find almost any prey quickly thanks to their excellent hearing and binocular vision.
Owls will swallow small prey items whole. Snowy owls can swallow small birds and small mammals, such as lemmings, voles, and lemmings, head-first.
Owls will eat prey items that are large enough to be eaten in pieces. The prey item is usually pulled apart and the feet and head are often discarded.
What Bird Owl Eats :
Snowy Owls Hunt Birds Like :
- Geese
- Small songbirds
The Eastern screech Owls have been known to hunt:
- cuckoos
- finches
- woodpeckers
- creepers
- mockingbirds
The Spectacled owl hunts :
- Motmot Bird
- Blue jay
Due to their large size, great gray owls are capable of hunting.
- Broad-winged Hawks
- Canadian grouse.
Northern saw-whet Owls have been known to hunt :
- Pine siskin
- flycatcher
- golden-crowned kinglet
African grass owls eat:
- Black crake
- African snipe
- Black crake
Because of their small size, Northern Pygmy-owls are attracted to :
- Hummingbirds
- Warblers
Short-Eared Owls also hunted Birds Like :
- Passerines
- The laughing gulls
- Common terns
- Intake sandpipers
- Rails Bird
- Plover Bird
Boreal Owls hunt Birds Like :
- Thrushes
- Warblers
- Woodpeckers
- Mountain chickadee
Great horned Owls hunt :
- Mallards
- American crows
- American coots
- Rock pigeons
- Ospreys
The Long-eared Owls are often attracted
- Passerine birds
- Ruffed grouse
Common birds Burrowing Owls hunts :
- Songbirds
- Blackbirds
- Water birds like Coots, Ducks
Northern Hawk Owl hunts Birds like :
- Partridges
- Doves
- Blackbirds
- Robins
- Buntings Bird
- Blue jay
We got a video clip of how Owl attack Bird
Resource