It is quite common for one or two eggs to fail, and the average number of hatches is 4.0. After hatching, owls develop a thin coat in a short period. They are not yet able to shed at this early age, so the female raises them until the oldest is about 3 weeks old. The male carries in small mammals, which the female tears into small pieces to feed her growing young. In the first week, owls often produce gentle chirps. This is especially true when someone finds them. At 3 weeks of age, an owl can swallow a whole grain or a small mouse. At 3 weeks old, the baby grows thicker insulation to replace its birth wool. It keeps the baby warm. Thus, the female can help the male in his hunting duties. The birds are then able to feed, and fights for food are not uncommon. They are more mobile than before, and at 5 weeks they can run, jump, hiss, and click their tongues. They usually move their heads from side to side, in circles, and even look backward! The heart-shaped face appears, and the flight feathers show under the fluffy white. Take a look at our age determination guide to estimate an owl’s age.
Baby Barn Owls in warm
Owl Development and Behavior
When they are hungry, they are constantly looking for food, shouting: “psh… psh… psh… psh… psh…”. Even before an adult arrives with food, they seem to know it’s coming and scramble for a position. Researchers have recorded some surprising behaviors. For example, birds feed their young instead of eating. At the age of about 6 weeks, well-fed chicks can weigh 100 grams more than adults! Check out our owl bird gallery. At week 7, most of the chicks die from lack of food, and the amount of prey released by the adults begins to decrease. The average herd size is 2.84 individuals.
White Barn Owls in nurturing
Even when the young ones have fled, the parents bring food back to the nest.
The wing-flapping exercises have now begun in earnest. They are sending bits of white wool flying in all directions! At 8-9 weeks, the owls took their first short flights. By 10 weeks, most looked like adults and flew well. Birdwatchers have recorded 6 and even 7 birds in areas with abundant food, though the average age is only 2.5. During the flight, the young birds return to the nest several times. They always sit there.
Once outside the nest, “game hunting” can consist of jumping on anything that moves. Owls receive little or no training and learn to hunt by instinct. The first prey capture was at 72 days of age. At 12 weeks, the baby barn owls took much less food than the adults. At around 10 to 12 weeks of age, they attempt to leave the nest during the day, often in nearby trees. After breaking out several times, one would expect them to learn the value of dry places. Our radio tracking showed that tree frosts (e.g., on ivy) can last until the temperature drops in November.
At about 12 weeks, the owls start to move away. At 13 weeks, they instinctively search for their territory. Dispersion is the term used for this. By week 14, almost all the owlets have left their parents’ territory. Some evidence shows that adults, especially females, hunt the young. But, the group tolerates some young for months after they escape.
