eagle owls and other raptors (1 Viewer)

[mike from ebbw]

this is a question for the scandinavian contingent of BF members(and anyone else that might know).i know that most non birds of prey will mob a raptor when perched up.but as eagle owls sometimes prey on buzzards,kestrels etc would they,in turn, mob the eagle owl?

 

[talon_dfa]

I wouldn' t say they mob eagle owls (or other Bubo), but they will not tolerate them in their breeding territories...

I have seen Golden Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawks, Swainson Hawks, Norhern Goshawks, American Kestrel & Prairie Falcons all drive Great-Horned Owls away from a nest site.

I have heard of other species doing the same, ie Goshawk in Europe.

Also, many raptors will take the oportunity to dive on a Bubo at any oportunity (that could be considered mobbing)... ie many hawk-watch sites place a plastic owl in the open to attract attention.

 

[rokermartin]

In Europe Eagle Owls often kill birds of prey which are in there breeding areas,they have been known to Kill RL Buzzard ,Common Buzzard ,Goshawk,Sparrowhawk,Osprey ,Peregrine and other Owls.I was in Sweden a few years ago and i was talking to a couple of Swedish birders and they said they have seen Eagle Owls take Ospreys off there nests before and one Eagle Owl nest contained remains of a Peregrine ,Hawk Owl and a Capercaillie.Eagle Owls are certainly not frightened by other birds of prey.

 

[mike from ebbw]

thanks guys.thats a big help.

 

[talon_dfa]

In Europe Eagle Owls often kill birds of prey which are in there breeding areas,they have been known to Kill RL Buzzard ,Common Buzzard ,Goshawk,Sparrowhawk,Osprey ,Peregrine and other Owls.I was in Sweden a few years ago and i was talking to a couple of Swedish birders and they said they have seen Eagle Owls take Ospreys off there nests before and one Eagle Owl nest contained remains of a Peregrine ,Hawk Owl and a Capercaillie.Eagle Owls are certainly not frightened by other birds of prey.

No Question that Bubo owls kill chicks of these species (and even incubating females)...

I have even seen reference to them killing eagle chicks...

But in daylight, if discovered, they can be driven out of the vicinity of the nests...

I don't know if the Great-horned Owls that I saw driven away were frightened or not, but they "got out of Dodge".