Building a Screech Owl Birdhouse

 

 

Just in the last three weeks in the early evening the screech owls have been calling and you can heard them during the night into the early morning hours. We have not heard the screech owls for months but they are back and I am glad. I love hearing the screech owls, their calls are magical! Their Monotonic trill is the coolest call! Screech owls do not screech, that’s the barn owl that has the screech call but they have a descending whistle.

 

Three weeks ago when I first heard the screech owls again I decided to build and install a screech owl nesting box. We continue to hear the screech owls every night and early morning but no luck just getting an owl in my box yet. I made the box from cedar and with a 3 inch hole specifically to fit Screech Owls.

 

I was at our local feed and seed picking up a few things and an older farmer told me that when you hear screech owls constantly for days or even weeks, that means they are trying to find a mate. I’ve done a little research on screech owls as to their habitat and when they actually select their nesting site. It seems that it is pretty common for the screech owls to select a nesting site that they haven’t used for roosting during the rest of the year. Their mating and nesting time starts in March thru June and can even happen in the early fall.

I designed the owl box with a side door as I do all my birdhouses to make it easier to clean.

I decided to add a perch using a small tree limb, this way if I did get owls and they decide to perch maybe I can get some really good pictures!

The weather was ideal for hanging the owl box, light mist and over cast. The box was mounted about a month ago, maybe it’s a little late to hang an owl box but I am glad I finally finished the project.

I added pine shavings for nesting material.

 

You can learn more about the Screech Owl or hear their sounds, check out these pages:
The Owl Pages  ( Screech Owl sounds )
Wikipedia
National Geographic

Recent post: Bluebirds Build Nest

For more information on bluebird houses, view more images or to order, click SHOP NOW

Above – Large Bluebird House