Owls are fascinating birds! Their hooting calls echo in the dark of the night but we hardly ever see them during the day. Their nocturnal behavior also makes them tough birds to study.
Like other birds, owls build nests and lay eggs but what are their relationships like? How do they find mates and when they do find one, do they mate for life?
Key takeaways:
- While most owls do form lifelong bonds, others do not.
- Owls are caring mates – they are there for their mates, and fathers help take care of the young ones.
The Bonds Between Owls
Most owls form long-term pair bonds, but do they mate for life? Studying the mating habits of owls is very difficult but it seems that many owl species do mate for life. Others at least stay with the same mate during the breeding season.
For most owl species, it’s worth it to form a long-term bond. The majority of owls use the same territory all year long, and if a pair works together, they can more easily defend it from intruders. Pairs of male and female owls can also avoid competing with each other because they differ in size.
Although they feed on a lot of the same animals, the smaller male tends to catch smaller animals, while the larger female can go after bigger prey.
Most owls mate for life, but there are occasional exceptions. Snowy Owls can stay with one mate during a breeding season, or males can mate with more than one female. These big Arctic owls probably follow these mating strategies because, like other nomadic and migratory birds, they don’t stay in the same breeding area all year long.
During summers with abundant food sources, male Snowy Owls and some other owl species can have more than one mate so they can have more young.
How do owls find their mates?
Owls find their mates like many other birds. Essentially, males impress females with a song and dance. For owls, a song might be tooting or hooting sounds, but they serve the same function as robin’s beautiful melodies.
When a male owl sings the right song, it shows which species it is and tells the female owl that it would be a suitable mate. By singing loudly, he also shows that he’s a strong and healthy bird.
After a female arrives, male owls follow up with courtship that can include flight displays and postures. For male Snowy Owls, these displays involve moth-like flight while holding a dead rodent in his beak, and then posturing on the ground with its wings held open.
Male Great Horned Owls and other owl species can also show off parts of their plumage. Great Horned Owls bend down and puff out their white throat patch while giving loud calls.
The Father’s Role
Father owls play a vital role in raising their babies. They start by choosing the nesting site. Instead of building a nest, most owls lay their eggs in a tree cavity, on a sheltered rocky lodge, or in an old nest of a crow or other large bird.
After a male owl picks a suitable spot, he calls to bring in his mate or, if he’s single, to attract a new one. If the female owl accepts the nest site, she eventually lays her eggs and incubates while her mate guards the nest.
During incubation, he might bring her food from time to time. However, after the eggs hatch, as she keeps the babies warm, he does all of the hunting for the family. He brings enough food both for his mate and their young, sometimes throughout the night, or a larger prey item at dawn.
However, he doesn’t feed the babies. After giving a vole or other prey item to his mate, she breaks off bits of meat to feed the babies. Eventually, the young birds eat larger items, even swallowing some small animals whole!
As the owlets grow, he continues to hunt for the nestlings, but the female eventually brings them food too.
Fun Facts
- Most owls mate for life, especially owl species that live in the same areas all year long.
- Male Barn Owls attract a mate by screeching during display flights, including hovering in front of a female with his legs dangling below him.
- As part of their nesting display, male Barn Owls bring dead rats and other food to their mate. They can bring so many, the small dead animals can accumulate in the nest!
- Male and female owls often preen each other to strengthen their pair bond.
- As part of courtship, male owls call to their mate, and enter and exit the nest site with a prey item.
- Father owls can be fiercely defensive of their nest. Many will attack people and animals that climb up a nesting tree.
- Male Short-eared Owls have impressive “sky dancing” display flights where they fly in small circles, call, and then swoop down as they clap their wings below them.
- Although Flammulated Owls migrate south for the winter, most come back to the same breeding area and pick the same mate as the previous year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are owls life partners?
Most owls stay together for most of their lives, so they truly are life partners.
Are owls good parents?
Yes, owls are good parents. Both species take good care of their nestlings and protect them from predators.
What happens if an owl’s mate dies?
If an owl’s mate dies, the surviving bird usually looks for a new mate. However, if the mate dies late in the breeding season, the surviving bird will raise the nestlings on their own.
How long do owls live?
Owls live as long as 8 years, or more than 20 years.