• Here is large informational document on western screech owls for your reference. If you have a question about western sscreech owls the answer likely will be here.

  • Q. Do the owls have names?
  • A. Yes, Bella is the female and Copper is the male.

  • Q. Is the camera layout confusing?
  • A. If so please look at this picture to help with the layout details.

  • Q. How do you tell the owls appart?
  • A. Here is a picture compairing their individual markings. ---- Here is a picture of Bella's markings. ---- Here is another picture of Bella's markings.

  • Q. Do you interact with the owls?
  • A. These are wild owls, we leave them uninterrupted and wild. We just observe them with the cameras, you may see us or hear us around in the yard but we do not interfere with the owls.

  • Q. Where is this nest located?
  • A. Northern Utah

  • Q. What type of owls are these?
  • A. They are Western Screech owls and they are about 5 or 6 inches tall full grown.

  • Q. How big is the tree?
  • A. Its a big old willow tree about 60 feet tall

  • Q. How high up is the nest box?
  • A. About 18 feet to the opening.

  • Q. Can other animals get into the box?
  • A. Only animals and insects small enough to fit through the hole.

  • Q. What cameras do you use?
  • A. I use several different camera brands. Please email me to see what I am presently using. They tend to change.

  • Q. How long have the owls been nesting there and how did you find them?
  • A. They were first spotted in October of 2018 by my next door neighbor. While changing the oil in my car he said, "Hay do you know you have owls in your box?" I said, "no I did not." I then started putting in cameras when the owls were not actively in the box.
    However: I figured something out recently. I "thought" or assumed that I only had owls for the last two season. However as I was changing my humming bird nectar I was thinking about how I used to have at least 20 to 50 humming birds around my feeders and now I have one feeder and maybe two pair of hummingbirds if not just one pair actively using my feeder.
    About 4 (2016) or 5 (2015) years ago the number of humming birds drastically dropped and as I think about it I bet I had owls move in then and I had no idea until my observant outdoors type neighbor told me I had owls living in my nest box two years ago. Unless I am actually looking at the nest I would have no idea owls were in the box.

  • Q. How many eggs do they normally have?
  • A. Four to six usually, the most we've ever seen so far is five

  • Q. Is it the same mom and dad every year?
  • A. Not really sure. I have seen multiple different owls in and out of the box up until laying egg time but I think they are the same.

  • Q. How long will the owls be live-streamed?
  • A. I pretty much stream them 24/7 365 days of the year. Once the owletts have completely left the tree I may shut off the stream for a time to make changes from things learned the past season.

  • Q. Does her mate ever help sit on the eggs or feed her?
  • A. No. Western Screech owls only the female incubates the eggs. The male will provide food while sitting on the eggs or the hatchlings.

  • Q. Is Copper (Bella's mate) nearby the box?
  • A. Copper generally stays about 15 feet from the nest box in the same willow tree.

  • Q. How many years have they nested here?
  • A. Since the fall of 2018 I think - see answer above a few questions for more information.

  • Q. So you just put up a box and hoped that an owl couple would claim it?
  • A. If you build it the will come was my moto.

  • Q. So the nest is in the willow tree?
  • A. Yes

  • Q. Do they stay with here year round?
  • A. From about November through about the end of June. Then they leave with their young and teach them to hunt and be owls.

  • Q. Where do they go when they are not with you?
  • A. There are many places they could go. There are mountains all over to the east of me and wetlands to the west of me.

  • Q. Is there a large enough food supply for the owls?
  • A. Absolutely. Between the mountains, the wetlands and the residential area there is plenty to keep them well fed.

  • Q. What do they eat?
  • A. Generally insects, worms, grubs, rats, mice, small snakes and occasional small birds of the sparrow or smaller size.

  • Q. Do you band the babies?
  • A. No. Local groups do not band them.

  • Q. Do you have instructions how to stream to YouTube?
  • A. Streaming on YouTube changes all the time. Please search Google for instructions and then if you have some questions reach out to me and I'll see if I know the answer.

  • Q. Do you have details how to make your nest box?
  • A. Yes I do :) Nest box details instructions.

    • Western Screech Owl Sounds

  • This is the typical sound you will hear in the late evening. It is mostly just a call stating I am here. In this sound clip a call can be heard at: 2.5 seconds, 4.75, 14, 18.5 and at 24.75 seconds. Sorry about the sprinkler sound in the background.

  • This is a less often heard sound heard from the screech owls and likely part of the reason for their name. In this sound clip there are two owls communicating. One is very faint and the other is doing more of the screeching sound. Western Screech owls literally can screech like someone screaming. Sorry about the sprinkler sound in the background.

  • Thanks for watching and stay tuned for more owl content!