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During the pandemic my partner and I would go on long walks through our neighborhood at night after dinner. On one of these walks we stumbled on a tall palm tree which was emanating loud blood curdling shrieks from the top.
It was surreal, every night in the middle of a quiet neighborhood it sounded as if demons were sitting in the tree screaming at the top of their lungs.
For days we wondered what those sounds could possibly be. One of our friends happens to be a zoologist and after talking to them it turns out a nest of barn owl babies made their home in the top part of the tree. These cries are used by the young owls to communicate with their parents and are intended to signal to their parents that they require food or care.
As last week's raptor themed article illustrated, my partner and I are avid fans of birds. Owls are especially interesting, as their round furry heads, intense stare, and long life span makes them feel like an elder statesman of the bird community.
They are also incredibly important to maintaining the broader ecosystem. Owls are apex predators in their ecosystems, and their presence helps regulate the populations of their prey species. They are primarily carnivorous and prey on a variety of small mammals, such as rodents (mice, rats, voles), as well as insects and other smaller animals. This prevents over population of certain animals, which can lead to ecological imbalances and damage to vegetation.
They are so valuable that many neighborhoods and farmers have taken to installing owl boxes to attract them. Most owl species naturally nest in tree cavities, hollows, or similar sheltered locations. Owl boxes provide an alternative nesting habitat in areas where natural cavities might be scarce or unavailable due to habitat loss or urbanization.
In addition to the barn owl, there are over 10 different species of owls that live in the Bay Area. Not all of these species co-exist together peacefully however.
A recent article in the East Bay Times highlights the dangers of invasive owl species on the native populations that have lived here for centuries. Barred owls, a species from the Pacific Northwest have been slowly making their way down the coast and pushing the native Spotted owls out of their habitats.
Barred owls are medium-sized owls with a round face and no ear tufts. They have brown eyes, a white and brown barred pattern on their plumage, and a distinctive hooting call. Meanwhile Spotted Owls are slightly smaller and are characterized by a round, dark face with no ear tufts. Their plumage is dark brown with white spots, which gives them their name.
The main issue is that the aggressive Barred owl has a highly varied diet, which includes other endangered species such as California red-legged frogs or certain species of freshwater shrimp. Spotted owls have a more specialized diet focusing on more abundant local wildlife. The Barred owl's highly adaptive nature has allowed them to expand far beyond their original ecosystem.
Unfortunately, the main way to stop the encroachment of the Barred owl is through population control. This essentially means every time a set of Barred owls are spotted in an area they are not native to, a team of biologists and hunters mobilize to shoot them. This allows the Spotted owls to remain and continue with their natural roles of maintaining specific ecosystems throughout the Bay Area.
Owls play an essential role in the ecological health and biodiversity of the Bay Area. They are simply cool to look at and observe. They also do a phenomenal job at carrying out natural pest control and disease prevention.
By appreciating the importance of specific owls and their habitats in the Bay, we can continue to ensure that these silent guardians continue their vital work in preserving the region's natural beauty and ecological balance.
Editor's Note: The "Notes on the Valley" blog is written by Monith Ilavarasan, who grew up in Pleasanton. After a career in tech, he took a sabbatical to be a community organizer. He has continued to work in tech and shares his thoughts on the people, places and events that make up and shape the Tri-Valley.
