Owl Diet

Owls are an active, nocturnal species of bird. Owls are carnivores that swallow their food whole and then regurgitate pellets with the bones and hair of their prey. The type and amount of food an owl eats depends primarily upon its size.

  1. Smaller Owls

    • Smaller owl species such as the elf owl have a high metabolism and eat large amounts of food. In fact, according to the Carolina Newsletter, some small owl species must consume the equivalent of 50 percent of their body weight daily in food. Small species of owls consume small pray such as ants, butterflies, beetles and lizards.

    Larger Owls

    • Large owls such as Barn and Snowy owls have very slow metabolisms, so they do not require as much food. In fact, the Snowy Owl is actually known to fast for a month at a time if there is a scarcity of prey. Larger owls also consume larger pray, including mice, gophers, snakes, skunks, rats, fish, squirrels and bats. When vertebral prey is consumed, the owls have to regurgitate the bones and fur to protect their fragile intestine. The regurgitated animal remains are known as pellets. Pellets can be dried and dissected to determine the prey that a particular owl consumed.

    Benefits to People

    • In a study published by UC Davis, information was compiled regarding the diets of barn owls in various regions of California including Berkley, Los Angeles and Madera. Much to their surprise, the Barn owls consumed a large amount of rodents that would otherwise negatively impact local farmers. The most commonly found rodents consumed were meadow voles, pocket gophers, and both white pocket and white-footed mice. On average, Barn owls consumed two rodents every night. These findings have led to many farmers placing owl houses on their farmland to promote and attract these natural predators.