Barn owl feeding chick

Athena's first chick hatched February fourth. It's under her body as she feeds it a mouse.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• barn
• owls
• nests
• eggs
• birds
• chicks

[WorldBirdSanctuary]

Baby barn owls eat what the parents eat, in smaller pieces. They are carnivores, so they eat meat from their first meal. If the male is killed in the wild, it depends on the age of the babies, the season, and prey availability. The female may abandon the nest and babies, or the oldest ones might survive. There are a lot of variables. However, most of the chicks would probably die. As to noise, the chicks don't open their eyes until they are 7-10 days old. Clucking gets their attention.

[JimmyJoeLard]

That's just great.

When did Dad start roosting of-site?

[WorldBirdSanctuary]

Sonar comes and goes, but he is out of the box most of the time. He comes in for food and to preen and mate from time to time.

[butterflykisses50]

thanks for sharing. i love the sound of barn owls

[Mazryonh]

Is Athena tearing off piece of the mouse near her right wing so as to feed tiny pieces to the new chick? Is this their version of "baby food"?

If the male is killed, will the female forage for the chicks instead? And why is Athena making that clucking noise?