I’ve been seeing a family of Barred Owls on my evening walks this summer.
There are at least two young owls. Easy to spot each night because they are constantly screeching. I’m assuming because they want food from their parents, like other young birds I’ve watched.
Owl and Squirrel drawing
Five Fun Owl Facts
One fun part about this project is learning about the owls I draw, all the different species, the places they live, and the unique behaviors and characteristics. Here’s a little list of some interesting owl facts, illustrated with some of my past drawings.
1. Burrowing Owls catch food in a variety of ways including chasing it across the ground on foot. They will also swoop down from the air or a perch or catch prey in mid flight.
2. The Great Gray Owl’s scientific name, Strix nebulosa, means nebulous, clouded, or foggy. This owl is often described as ghostlike, it’s coloring camouflages it in the lichen covered trees of the northern boreal forests where it lives.
3. Great Gray Owls are the longest owl from head to tail, although the Great Horned Owl weighs more, and the Snowy Owl weighs about twice as much. Much of the Great Gray Owl’s bulk comes from its feathers which helps it survive in the cold forests of the north.
4. Owls that nest in tree cavities rely on reusing old nest holes created by woodpeckers. The small Northern-Pygmy Owl prefers Hairy Woodpecker nests. Woodpeckers are a keystone species that provide nesting cavities for many other species as well, including bluebirds, pine martens, squirrels, ducks, and other small birds and mammals.
5. Saguaro cacti provide nesting sites for many types of owls and birds. Elf Owls, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls, and Western Screech Owls will use old woodpecker holes in saguaros and Great Horned Owls may nest in the crook of the cacti. Nests in these cacti have the added benefit of protective spines.
Hope you enjoyed reading! If you want to check out some more interesting facts check out my previous post, 10 Fun Owl Facts.
Owl and Pines drawing
Owl #46
Ink and watercolor illustration
A Great Horned Owl sitting in the canopy of a forest of pines.
Prints available in my etsy shop: 5×7 or 8×10 prints
Great Gray Owl and Barbed Wire Fence Drawing
Screech owl and Moon drawing
Owl #45
Prints available here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/217333746/screech-owl-and-moon-art-print
A little screech owl sitting in pine branches, with a crescent moon in the sky.
Owl and Aspens drawing
Owl #44
Owl and Aspens
Prints in the shop
A Great Horned Owl in a forest of aspens. Kept all the line work thin in this one. It felt right for the slender trees and papery bark.
Desert Sunset and Burrowing Owl
Owl #43
Burrowing Owl and Desert Sunset
Prints available here
One of the new illustration I did for my 2015 calendar. A burrowing owl peeking over rocks in a Southwest landscape with an orange setting sun.
2015 Owl Calendar
This year’s owl calendar is now up in the shop! All new illustrations from past years, plus some brand new illustrations that I will be featuring here on the blog over the next couple weeks.
I always have fun selecting and drawing the different months. Have any favorites? I’m a little partial to July this year.
You can find them in the shop here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/210546309/owl-calendar-2015-monthly-bird
Illustrated Owl Memory Game
I loved playing memory games growing up. I had these owl memory game sets printed, and they’re now up in my shop!
25 different illustrations (50 cards), featuring various owls and their environments.
Packed in a little sturdy box, great for storage or travel.
You can find them or read more details in my shop here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/207520903/owls-memory-game-illustrated-match-pairs