The eastern screech owl

The eastern screech owl, Megascops asio, is a species of owl that can be found from Mexico to Canada in Eastern North America. It is mostly seen in wooded areas (Woodlands), but it has also adapted well to urban areas, where it is seldom seen due to its strictly nocturnal nature. Adult Eastern Screech Owls weigh between 121-244 grams and are 16-25 centimeters long from beak to tail. The wingspans of the bird vary from 7.7 to 9.4 inches. The variation in numbers is due to the fact that these owls differ in characteristics due to geographical areas and races within the genus. The birds are also short tailed (stocky) and broad-winged. Their heads are large and round with prominent ear tufts while their feet are large and feathered all the way to the toes. The birds are usually either predominantly reddish brown or gray in color which helps them blend into their woodland environment. They are usually solitary and nest in tree cavities or artificial nests erected by humans1. Eggs are laid ate two days intervals and incubation starts straight after the first egg has been laid. As the owls vary in size depending on their location, so do the eggs which are in synchronization with the owl’s body size. Incubation is mostly done by the female and lasts for 26 days; however, the males often take shifts as well. In terms of diet, the Eastern Screech Owl is a vicious carnivore that often feeds on purple martins and rock pigeons. The hunting is done from dusk to dawn and primarily in the first four hours of darkness.

It is important to note that large insects constitute a large part of the owl’s diet during breeding due to their availability and the given role the owl has to play (incubation) and limits its movable distance 2. The insects consumed are cicadas, beetles, grasshoppers, moths, and crickets.

Materials and Methods

The bird was observed at the Lincoln Park Zoo when it was caged for public display. The zoo has a wide variety of animals such as the Amur leopard, Amur tiger, the Aruba Island rattlesnake, the Bactrian camel and the Baringo giraffes for mammals. The birds found here are Abdim’s stork, the African penguin, American avocet, the Eastern Screech Owl and the American Kestrel among other numerous types and species of birds. At the Lincoln Park Zoo and exhibit, these animals are showcased to the public who can learn about them and appreciate them. These naturalist exhibits are often geared at bringing awareness to these animals and help people see the state of various species on earth. The zoo houses numerous animals some of which are facing extinction and require intervention to sustain viable numbers. This exhibition is fundamentally helpful for a student learning about an animal such as the Eastern Screech Owl which would otherwise be unavailable due to its strict nocturnal behavior. Outside of the zoo, an individual would have to get specials equipment such as night vision cameras in order to observe the activities of these animals3. From this perspective, the zoo offers an invaluable chance for scientists to study the bird’s behavior with convenience.

Additionally, students also have the opportunity to study the animals and effectively affordable without the need for specialized equipment and sophisticated gear. Besides, the zoo and exhibition have guides who voluntarily explain the animals on display and are available in case questions arise from members of their group. Their qualifications to work in the zoo guarantees their skilled and first-hand knowledge in dealing with the animals they handle.

Hypothesis

Due to the nature of the Eastern Screech Owl and its habitat, a larger cage and bigger space would result into a closer simulation of its natural environment. This hypothesis holds true since the larger space shall allow for accommodation of trees and enable the bird to receive enough exercise stemming from its ability to fly around freely. However, there are limitations that this approach has, they are in terms of the limits of the space that the park can viably provide for the Eastern Screech Owl without impacting the areas and space for other animals within the zoo. However, the challenge is that failure to expand the section of the Eastern Screech Owl can negatively influence research since the bird is under different conditions and unable to exploit its full potential in certain areas such as hunting and aerial maneuvers4. Additionally, the confined space and exposure to people may result in an altered behavioral pattern that shall distort research data and render it inaccurate for application to other species. The habitat and behavior. Naturally, the owls inhabit open mixed woodlands, parklands, deciduous forests, wetlands, riparian woods along streams and wooded suburban areas5.

This is an indication that the animals require vast expanses of land to thrive and have adapted to living a lifestyle tuned to such areas. This also helps explain the rationale behind the Eastern Screech Owl’s excellent success rate in urban areas. These areas are often referred to as urban jungles and closely mimic a forest with the trees being substituted by the buildings. While in the urban environment, the owls fed on house mice and lizards. The hypothesis can be tested by observing the effects of a larger cage on the bird versus a smaller one. One most likely effect and observation would be the instant use for the anima’s wings to soar to the very heights of the new confinement.

Ethogram

Day one

Behavior

Rapid blinking

Staring

Flapping wings

Closing left eye

Closing right eye

Turning head

Suggestively approaching the cage wall

singing

Head bobbing.

Explanation

Nervousness

Pacified.

Excited

Pacified.

Pacified.

Scanning the environment

Hungry/ expecting food from strangers.

Natural.

Attaining visual focus.

Day Two

Behavior

Head bobbing

Staring

Lifting right leg

Pecking the cage wall

Frantically hitting the cage wall.

Stretching wings

Swallowing insect whole

Suggestively approaching the cage wall

Flapping wings

Explanation

Attaining visual focus.

Pacified

Resting as they preserve heat.

Frustration/ curiosity due to captivity.

Frustration/ curiosity due to captivity.

Tired/ straightening feathers.

Part of the diet.

Hungry/ expecting food from strangers.

Excited. / exercise.

Day Three

Behavior

Swallowing insect whole

Resting on a perch

Peeking from a nest

Singing

Stretching wings

Staring

Flapping wings

Turning head away

Lifting left leg

Explanation

Part of the diet.

Excited

Incubating/ laying eggs.

Natural/ relaxed/ communicating.

Tired/ straightening feathers.

Indifferent.

Excited. / exercise.

Uninterested.

Resting as they preserve heat.

Findings

It was found that the owls in captivity exhibited a certain range of behaviors that was different for those in the wild. This was attributed to the lack of freedom within the zoo environment and exposure to human beings which are both aspects that the wild environment does not have. Such specific behavior is rapid blinking caused by nervousness, suggestively approaching the cage wall expecting food from strangers, and frantically hitting/ pecking at the cage wall to demonstrate frustration6.

Every one of these behaviors observes in the captive Eastern Screech Owl is absent in the wild counterparts who have access to fresh air, sufficient exercise, do not have frequent exposure to humans and have learned to hunt as their exclusive source of food. These observations are in line with the hypothesis which states that the behaviors of the Eastern Screech Owl would alter with the provision of more room to play, fly and exercise which would mimic its natural environment of trees, free flight, and distance from human beings. The Owls have only adapted the behavior of approaching humans due to the fact that they have been fed or seen people eat food that they are familiar with such as hamburgers and meat containing products. The data was collected using notebooks and Ethograms which were invaluable in taking quick notes which were later entered into computers for ease of observation and manipulation. The ethograms have provided ample evidence regarding the behavior of the captive Eastern Screech Owl. The characteristics of the wild owls were obtained from secondary sources which were listed in the references section of the paper. They include content analysis from books, journals and desktop research. That makes the methods used in collecting data both primary and secondary which is important since they corroborate one another.

Bibliography

Calvez, Leigh. 2016. The Hidden Lives of Owls: The Science and Spirit of Nature’s Most Elusive Birds. 1st. Seattle: Sasquatch Books.

Duncan, James. 2013. The Complete Book of North American Owls. San Diego: Thunder Bay Press.

Gehlbach, Frederick R. 2009. Eastern Screech Owl: Life History, Ecology, and Behavior in the Suburbs and Countryside. College Station: Texas A&M University Press.

Lpzoo.org. 2017. Animals at Lincoln Park Zoo. June 05. Accessed June 05, 2017. http://www.lpzoo.org/animals/Animals.

—. 2017. lpzoo.org. June 05. Accessed June 05, 2017. www.lpzoo.org/animal/eastern-screech-owl.

Mikkola , Heimo. 2013. Owls of the World: A Photographic Guide. 2nd. Richmond Hill: Firefly Books.