Whether you have a squirrel problem around you house, or are just curious about owls, you may have wondered what the diet of owls consists of.

Do owls actually eat squirrels? Well, let’s find out!

Let’s start with the basics. Owls are carnivores, which means they eat meat (other animals). Squirrels are meat, so they certainly qualify to be a part of an owl’s diet.

Owls are bird of prey, and mainly feed on small mammals and rodents, with some insects thrown in for variety. Squirrels are actually considered a type of rodent, so they are within the group animals that an owl might consider food.

So let’s cut to the chase: Yes, owls eat squirrels!

In fact, owls are often used specifically for rodent control. By encouraging owls to live on your property, you are introducing a natural predator that will take care of those pesky mice, rats, and squirrels for you.

Still need more evidence? Take a look at this video on an owl munching down on a squirrel. Tasty!

Owls can actually see extremely well at night, better than most humans in fact. This is partially what makes them such efficient hunters. An owl is able to spot their prey from atop a very tall tree, swooping down to disorient them with their talons before eating them.

Although a majority of owls are partially color blind, this does not inhibit them from seeing at night in any way. In fact, a lot of owls are able to see colors that humans cannot. Of course this varies depending on the species of owl, though most all of them have very good night vision.

You will find that most owls tend to hop, flapping their wings to jump off the ground just a little bit. Most of the time though, owls are either roosting or sitting still atop a tall tree looking for their prey. There are some birds that walk and others that hop, though most owls fit into the latter category.

Because owls have such powerful wings, they tend to use them as much as possible. These animals usually move very deliberately and flap their wings which lift them off the ground, even if it is only a foot or two.

Owls do in fact roost, which is entirely different from nesting, Barred owls for instance, roost inside pines and magnolias, in order to get away from the noise of the nearby songbirds. Of course every owl’s roosting habits are different, depending on the species. Most owls tend to roost inside the cavities of trees though, as they are nice and cozy getaways from the outside world.

This allows them to sleep peacefully without any interruptions at all. Those who keep owls in captivity actually have certain ways of getting these animals comfortable enough to where they can roost normally, as they would in their natural environment.

Around two hours after an owl eats an animal, they usually start to regurgitate the indigestible parts, such as bones along with feathers and teeth. All of these parts are compressed into the form of a pellet which the animal cannot digest. These pellets go from the gizzard of an owl to the proventriculus, where they remain for up to ten hours.

Because these pellets are stored in such a way as to block the animal’s digestive tract, it is impossible for them to eat any other prey until the pellets of indigestible material have been regurgitated completely.

Owls, like most other creatures, do make sounds. These animals make noises when they are calling to mates, which is a perfectly natural thing that most of these birds do. In fact, screech owls are known for the “screeching” sound that most of them make. The typical “whooo whooo” sound that people hear owls make is their mating call, though many owls are good at not being seen or heard, so they will have the upper hand on their prey.

Owls can make all sorts of noises, including those which resemble squealing, hooting, and whining. These animals also express pain like most other animals, with a very audible noise of some kind.

Although there are many different species of owls and all of them are different from the rest in some way or another, there are certain types of owls that have been known to mate for life. Screech owls and Great Horned Owls have both been known to find a mate and keep the same one for the rest of their lives. Barn Owls on the other hand do not mate for life.

Other than owls, there have been many species which have been studied and known to mate with the same partner for life. All owls have different mating habits though, but at least a few species have been known to mate for life.