Owl Watch: Owlet Laying Down…

Hey guys!

I had to call in sick yesterday, but I’m feeling much better today. So I’ll very likely be getting more footage of the owls this evening.

That said, I’ve created a little video of March 19, 2024 for us to enjoy. At first, I was a little disappointed that my footage wasn’t that interesting. But then I realized that it had some things in it that seem odd to me for birds to do… namely, lay down flat. I had a Cockatiel in college, and she never laid down to sleep. And whenever we see Mama Owl napping she too is standing… yet, this little Owlet lays flat on the ground, and in one instance even kicks a foot out… so I put that in the video. And I think that Mama Owl and the Owlet are hot and panting? I need to do some research, do owls pant to get cool?

Yes, actually, according to several sources including this one from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, owls and other birds mouth-breath or pant (also called, gular fluttering) to cool down.

Also of note, the little horns are starting to become visible, so cute. At the end of the video is a little snippet of the Owlet using their feet as hands to hold something (probably a pellet). All very interesting things that we may not have ever witnessed before.

EDIT:(25-04-22) I took down the video to save space.

Here are a couple of frame captures from the video…