The barred owl can be a permanent resident of the Island but may 
     
     move slightly south during the winter months, depending on food supply. 
     
     Generally its range extends from the temperate zone forests of southern 
     
     Canada to Guatemala. In eastern Canada barred owls prefer coniferous 
     
     or mixed woods rather than deciduous forests as habitat. Nesting is 
     
     usually in a hollow of a tree or an old nest of some other species. 
     
     They are not nest builders. Clutches of two to three eggs are 
     
     typically laid beginning early in April. Incubation lasts about 28 
     
     days, owlet fledging approximately six weeks. Barred owls feed mainly 
     
     upon small mammals such as mice, squirrels and hare, all of which are 
     
     abundant on the Island. 
     
    

    
     Typically owls spend the daylight hours in seclusion, hunting by 
     
     night. Being a nocturnal predator gives them the opportunity to show 
     
     off their incredibly specialized visual and auditory adaptations. 
     
     Experiments have demonstrated they can capture live deer mice in 
     
     complete darkness by sound alone. But if the prey becomes suddenly 
     
     silent they can hunt by sight instead, being able to locate prey at 
     
     a distance of two meters when the illumination is as little as 
     
     .00000073 foot candles. A humbling thought when one realizes that 
     
     an owl's sight in darkness is a hundred times better than our own!!! 
     
    

    
     Similar to all owls, the barred owl has a variety of calls. The 
     
     best known of its hoots is the sound described as 'who cooks for you, 
     
     who cooks for you' and is most often heard just prior to and during 
     
     the nesting season. So this April don't miss the chance of getting out 
     
     and hooting.at,or just quietly listening to some barred owls. If you 
     
     are superstitious and pregnant though, perhaps you should be a little 
     
     careful. In France the hooting of'an owl indicates that the pregnant 
     
     listener will shortly produce a girl instead of a boy. So if you 
     
     are pregnant and have your heart set on a boy perhaps earplugs during 
     
     the upcoming April nights would be advised.... 
     
    
   
   
    
     OWL POEMS 
     
     by Grade 4 pupils at Southern Kings Consolidated School, Peters Road 
     
    
   
   
    
     There is a bird whom people call 'Owl'. 
     
     People say he's a wise old fowl. 
     
     People say he eats lots of mice - 
     
    
   
   
    
     I say that isn't very nice! 
     
     - by Susan Herring <::> <::) 
     
    
   
   
    
     An owl hunts in the night A 
     
     And not in broad daylight. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Some are small; /l// 
     
     But not them all. 
     
    
   
   
    
     - by Lisa Campbell 
     
    
   
   
    
     Q o I O C Q o a o o 0 O c I o I o I 0 I O 0 
     
    
   
   
    
     An owl howls so loud. 
     
     I looked up at a cloud 
     
     And said, "Owl, 
     
    

    
     Don‘t howl so loud." 
     
    
   
   
    
     — by Joanne Glover ’ k