Owls are opportunistic predators. What owls eat depends on several factors, such as species, location, and food availability. Most owls are dietary generalists, meaning they don’t restrict themselves to a single species or narrow range of prey. [Anderson M. & Erlinge S. 1977]
Most owls eat small mammals, large insects/arthropods, birds, and lizards, but their diet varies greatly when their favorite food source is unavailable. Here is a look at what owls most commonly like to eat.
Owls That Prefer to Eat Small Mammals
Many North American owls prefer to eat small mammals – primarily rodents. Barn owls, barred owls, boreal owls, burrowing owls, eastern screech-owls, ferruginous pigmy-owls, great grey owls, long-eared owls, northern hawk owls, northern pygmy owls, northern saw-whet owls, short eared-owls, spotted owls, and western screech-owls prefer to eat small mammals such as voles, mice, small rats, and other similar prey.
If unavailable, these owls will eat a varied diet that may include small birds, frogs, lizards, and insects.
Owls That Prefer to Eat Larger Prey
The great horned owl also eats mammals, but unlike the other owls that stick to smaller animals, it will hunt larger prey such as opossums and skunks. It also eats birds, including geese, ducks, hawks, and other small owls. It will eat lizards, frogs, snakes, scorpions, and insects.
Snowy owls prefer lemmings likely because they are the most widely available but will hunt rabbits, geese, and ducks.
Owls That Prefer to Eat Insects
Several North American owls prefer to eat large insects and arthropods. Elf owls, flammulated owls, and whiskered screech owls prefer to eat caterpillars, moths, crickets, katydid, beetles, and even scorpions and spiders.
Do Owls Eat Dogs?
Owls like the great horned owl will hunt opossums and skunks, so it would follow that this same owl would consider a cat or small dog to be prey. They aren’t likely to attack when a pet is with its owner – a lesson a few people in a small town in Alaska learned the hard way. Over a four-day period, a great-horned owl attacked several pets in front of witnesses. One small dog and two pet rabbits were found dead, presumably killed by the same owl. It ultimately attacked a small terrier that fought back and killed the owl.
A raptor specialist with the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Juneau said it’s not common for owls to attack pets.
Do Owls Eat Bats?
The National Audubon Society lists bats in the diets of several owl species, including eastern screech-owls, long-eared owls, and spotted owls. Others will eat bats when their preferred food source is unavailable.
Resources
- Anderson M. & Erlinge S. 1977: Influence of predation on rodent populations. Oikos 29: 591–597
- Audubon Field Guide – Guide to North American Birds – Owls
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game – Alaska Fish and Wildlife News – Great Horned Owl Attacks Pets Unusual Incidents in Copper River Valley
