Watch: Mother Owl Takes On Snake—and Wins

[Omaha Steve]

X post in Birder

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/05/150514-owl-snake-video-animals-fight/?utm_source=Cornell+Lab+eNews&utm_campaign=42cc5d93ea-Cornell_Lab_eNews_2015_6_10&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_47588b5758-42cc5d93ea-302623569

By Stefan Sirucek, National Geographic
PUBLISHED MAY 14, 2015

To defend her young from an encroaching snake, Dottie the Texas barn owl reacted with extreme prejudice to remove the threat.

In the infrared video, filmed earlier this month at a Texas ranch, the owl was a ghostly sight. And with a second angle showing the snake creeping towards the entrance to her nest full of newborn owlets, it all had the makings of a horror movie.

The footage comes from the Bird Cams project at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which educates people about birds and lets them connect to individual birds through round-the-clock live feeds of species such as red-tailed hawks, albatrosses, ospreys, and, of course, Texas barn owls.

To learn more about Dottie and the recent incident, National Geographic reached out to Charles Eldermire, leader of the Bird Cams project.

FULL info at link. Video: https://www.facebook.com/birdcams/videos/vb.36857797726/10152828707517727/?type=2&theater

Watch this incredible footage of Dottie the female Texas Barn Owl defending her nest against a snake that attempted to enter the nest box!

After all the drama the fourth owlet hatched yesterday, May 7. The owlet is very small and the age gap is great between it and its oldest sibling. There is the possibility that the little one may not survive.

More on bird cams: http://bit.ly/BarnOwl_Survival

[Egnever]

1. Don't owls eat snakes as a normal portion of their diet?

[Omaha Steve]

2. From the FAQ

Large snakes can be a problem.

What predators are threats to Barn Owls?

Barn Owls face threats from mammals, birds, and reptiles. Stoats and snakes will prey upon nestlings. Raptors may kill both adults and young birds. Depending on location, avian predators may include the Great Horned Owl, Golden Eagle, Red Kite, goshawks, buzzards, Peregrine Falcon, Lanner Falcon, eagle owls, and Tawny Owl.

What do they eat?

Barn Owls eat mostly small mammals, particularly rats, mice, voles, lemmings, and other rodents; also shrews, bats, and rabbits. Most of the prey they eat are active at night, so squirrels and chipmunks are relatively safe from Barn Owls. They occasionally eat birds such as starlings, blackbirds, and meadowlarks. Amphibians, reptiles, fish, insects, scorpions, and crayfish are rarely taken. Nesting Barn Owls sometimes store dozens of prey items at the nest site while they are incubating to feed the young once they hatch. It has not been determined whether Barn Owls are specialist or opportunistic predators. Though the owls appear to be specialized in hunting small mammals, this actually may only reflect the fact that these prey items are what the owls are most likely to encounter in their nocturnal habitat.

[Tree-Hugger]

3. Cool

I love bird cams.

The May 7th hatched owlet did survive. However, a 5th owlet hatched days later and didn't survive.

[GusBob]

4. Last memorial day

I had been watching a nest of red-headed woodpeckers above our back porch all spring, 20 foot up in hole in a dead branch. when I was grilling I could hear the chicks peeping when they brought food to the nest. last memorial day I noticed one of the parents acting distressed and strange, with a strange cry and hopping from branch to branch. I was like: whats on that nest?

After staring at the branches I finally picked out a huge rat snake, like 6 foot, stretched out. In another tree I saw another smaller snake hanging around. You could see the lumps in its gullet where it had eaten the birds. It was sad to see one of the parents return later to feed the chicks and find an empty nest.

I left the snakes be but if I had a 410 I woulda shot them I was so angry. later that summer our cats kilt a bunch of small rat snakes so I figure fair play