Owls are mysterious birds of the night that capture our imaginations. If you’ve ever heard an owl’s haunting hoot in the darkness, you may have wondered where these nocturnal hunters hide out during daylight hours.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Owls roost in trees, nests, caves, cavities, and abandoned buildings during the daytime.

Owls Are Nocturnal Birds That Sleep During the Day

Owls are primarily nocturnal

Owls are well-known for being nocturnal, meaning they are most active at night. This is an adaptation that allows owls to take advantage of darkness to hunt prey and avoid predators more easily. Owls have a number of special adaptations that help them thrive at night, including exceptional hearing and vision and silent flight patterns.

Owls’ eyes are very large relative to their head size and contain many more rod cells than human eyes. This allows them to see well in low light conditions. They also have asymmetrically placed ears that help them pinpoint the location of sounds with extreme precision.

These adaptations make owls effective nighttime hunters.

An owl’s feathers have evolved to make their flight nearly silent. The leading edges of their primary feathers are serrated while the trailing edges are soft and fringed. This design muffles the sound of air rushing over the wings, allowing owls to swoop down on prey undetected.

Owls sleep through most of the daylight hours

Because owls are active at night, they typically spend the daylight hours resting and sleeping. On average, owls sleep around 13-14 hours per day. However, their sleep is not very deep and they can easily awake if threatened.

Owls tend to be most active in the early evening around dusk and before dawn in the early morning. During the middle of the night, they may take brief naps on and off between hunting sessions. But once daylight breaks, owls seek sheltered spots to settle in for longer sleep periods throughout the daytime.

Some owls may become active on cloudy winter days when light levels are low. But otherwise healthy owls generally sleep through the majority of daylight hours when prey is less available and their vision and camouflage are not as effective.

Owls prefer sheltered roosting spots to rest during the day

Owls do not build nests. During the day when owls are sleeping, they need to find sheltered spots called roosts to perch. Good roosting spots conceal owls from view and protect them from extreme weather and predators.

Tree cavities, nest boxes, dense foliage, and small caves or crevices are common roost sites for many owl species. Some burrowing owls even use old prairie dog or tortoise burrows as roosts. Being hidden and camouflaged in these spots helps keep sleeping owls safe from harm.

The specific roosting spots preferred by each owl species depends on their habitat. Barn owls often roost in building attics or abandoned barns, while barred owls may roost in forest tree cavities. Great horned owls frequently choose secluded conifer tree branches.

But regardless of habitat, owls need a sheltered, concealed spot to safely sleep during daylight hours.

Tree Cavities and Nests Are Prime Roosting Locations

Tree cavities provide shelter and seclusion

Owls rely on tree cavities and hollows in trunks and branches to safely rest during daylight hours. These enclosed spaces offer privacy and protection from predators and weather elements (Audubon). The shadowy, concealed environment allows the nocturnal birds to comfortably sleep undisturbed.

Cavities typically form in older, damaged trees – like oak, elm, cottonwood, and sycamore – as decay creates holes and openings over time. Woodpeckers may also excavate nest sites that later get taken over. According to surveys, around 60% of owl roosts occur in tree cavities (UNM).

The size and depth provide a feeling of safety and stability.

Old hawk, heron, or squirrel nests are reused by owls

Abandoned nests built by hawks, herons, crows, squirrels, and other wildlife serve as convenient lodging for resting owls. These existing structures simply need some minor customization with added twigs, grass, or feathers to adapt to an owl’s comfort.

Owls particularly favor old squirrel dreys located high up in oak, maple, and other broad-leaved trees. The cozy, enclosed platforms offer protective screening. And the soft interior – lined with moss, leaves, fur, or bark – creates an inviting place to hunker down (Sibley Guides).

Owls may roost in tree branches and dense foliage

While cavities provide prime real estate, owls aren’t always picky about their daily quarters. Thick branches surrounded by leaves or pine needles allow the birds to simply perch and blend in unseen. Evergreen trees offer especially great concealment thanks to year-round canopy coverage.

Roost sites are often reused repeatedly for seasonal shelter. But some owls like barred and great horned owls, may switch roosts regularly rather than sticking to one. In a New York study tracking radiotagged barred owls, researchers documented 124 different roost trees used over 2 years (Journal of Mammalogy).

Regardless if it’s a single favorite cavity or multiple options in rotation, key elements are cover and seclusion.

Caves and Rock Crevices Offer Protection

Owls require safe spaces to retreat to during daylight hours when they are most vulnerable. Caves and rocky outcroppings provide excellent shelter for these remarkable raptors.

Caves shelter owls from predators and weather

The recesses of caves offer sanctuary for owls to escape predators and shelter from harsh weather. With rocky walls enclosing them on three sides and a narrowed entrance, caves allow owls a defendable refuge to nestle into crevices and avoid detection.

The insulation of cave walls also buffers extremes of cold and heat.

Several owl species including eastern screech owls, elf owls, and spotted owls establish roost sites inside rocky caverns and grottoes. Studies have shown that caves with stable temperatures, plenty of perching spots, and openings facing south or east are favored.

Rocky outcrops have deep crevices for roosting

In addition to caves, formations of boulders, cliffs, rock piles, and quarries supply owls with hideaways to spend the daylight hours. Fissures within rocky structures feature cracks and holes for owls to ensconce themselves in while at rest.

For example, barn owls and great gray owls commonly inhabit pockets amidst columnar basalt formations.

Crevices in rocks provide protective hollows for owls to crouch unseen. Narrow divides conceal their ruffled outlines from reconnaissance flyovers by eagles, hawks, and other enemies. Rocky crannies also obstruct ground-based predators like foxes from spying snoozing owls.

  • In a study of roost site preferences, owls chose crevices with openings averaging 92 cm wide and 114 cm deep (J. Raptor Res., 1993).
  • The cavity interiors are usually lined with small gravel and debris carried in by owls over successive seasons. Such materials make rock cleft bases more suitable as daytime bunkers.

    Beyond basic shelter and camouflage, rocky roosts allow owls proximity to food sources. The surrounding terrain frequently includes meadows with rodent populations. Likewise, the flinty crags themselves host insects and reptiles. Thus, the crevice environs supply ready snacks.

    While less shielded than caves, the lithic hideouts still prove vital havens for owls to bed down undisturbed. The stony hollows help the birds conserve energy and stay safe until their nocturnal prowling hours resume at dusk.

    Owls Also Use Human-Made Structures

    Barns, sheds, and silos mimic natural cavities

    Owls often search for cozy nooks, crannies, and hollows in old equipment or dilapidated barns to nest or roost in as a substitute for the natural tree hollows they have relied on historically. For example, great horned owls and barn owls in particular are well known to nest in abandoned sheds, barns, or silos that allow for shelter for the owls while also providing access to ambush unwary rodents, one of their primary prey sources.

    Tattered buildings with holes in roof or walls are most attractive to owls seeking roosting sites. In fact, one study in Texas found nearly 50 percent of all surveyed barns were being used by barn owls at some point for nesting or roostingpurposes.

    Owls also seem to not mind the activity from human owners of old barns and storage buildings. They have been seen calmly watching nearby humans doing work or machinery moving in the area while sitting on nests or perched in rafters.

    One theory is that the daily activity, commotion, and noise accustoms owls to human presence so they remain comfortable inhabiting human structures despite people coming and going frequently.

    Bridges and abandoned buildings provide roosting spots

    When natural hollows are unavailable, certain owl species have also adapted to using cavities in bridges or abandoned houses, buildings, sheds, and other man-made structures for shelter and roosting spots.

    For instance, barred owls and screech owls have been reported living under bridges year round or stopping to momentarily hide underneath on migratory journeys. Collapsing sheds or empty old houses appeal to some owls like barn owls due to mimicking the dark, hollowed-out sections of gnarled trees they historically depended on for nesting, breeding, or simply escaping inclement weather or predation during the daytime.

    Experts estimate 25 percent of nesting barn owls in the United Kingdom today inhabit abandoned buildings at some point of the year because natural nesting sites and tree hollows are so few and difficult to locate on the landscape.

    In fact, due to the shortage of hollow trees for screech owl nesting in certain developed areas, expert conservationists will build and install specially-crafted nesting boxes on tree trunks or under bridges to provide alternative shelter and prime nesting real estate for local owl populations.

    Some cities like Edmonton even have designed special owl nest boxes as part of urban planning for liveability, showcasing how owls and people can coincide even in populated metropolitan areas given the right accommodation.

    Unique Roosting Behaviors of Different Owl Species

    Small owl species may roost in dense thickets

    Small owl species like Eastern Screech Owls and Northern Saw-whet Owls often roost in dense thickets of vegetation during the day. These thickets provide excellent cover and camouflage from potential predators.

    For example, Screech Owls have been found roosting in thickets of Rhododendron and Kalmia shrubs, using the dense foliage to conceal themselves (Smith, 2021). Saw-whet Owls may roost in coniferous trees like spruce, fir, and cedar, relying on the dense branches to hide (Kaufman, 2017).

    Roosting in dense vegetation allows these small owl species to rest securely during daylight hours.

    Larger owls prefer more protected cavities

    In contrast to smaller owls, larger owl species like Great Horned Owls, Barred Owls, and Great Gray Owls often select more protected roost sites inside tree cavities or nest boxes. Their larger size makes dense thickets too confining.

    Instead, these owl species roost in hollow trees, old raptor or squirrel nests, or artificial nest boxes provided for them (Johnsgard, 2018). For example, Great Horned Owls may use an old hawk, crow or squirrel nest as cover.

    Cavity roosts shelter larger owls from harsh weather and conceal them as they rest during daylight.

    Owl Species Average Weight Typical Roost Sites
    Eastern Screech Owl 150 grams Dense thickets
    Great Horned Owl 1,500 grams Tree cavities

    Burrowing owls nest in underground burrows

    The unique Burrowing Owl inhabits underground burrows, whether dug by the owls themselves or borrowed from other animals like prairie dogs or badgers. Burrowing Owls roost and nest inside these underground chambers, relying on the burrows for shelter from extreme weather and protection.

    A 2020 study found that Burrowing Owl numbers are declining in parts of their range due to loss of prairie dog colonies and burrowing habitat (Klute et al). Conserving underground burrows helps maintain Burrowing Owl populations that uniquely roost below ground.

    Conclusion

    Although they rule the night, owls require secluded spots to safely rest and digest their prey during daylight. By understanding where owls roost, birders and nature enthusiasts can catch a rare glimpse of these elusive raptors as they emerge at dusk.

    Whether nestled in a tree hollow, tucked into a rocky crevice, or snoozing in an abandoned barn, owls find sanctuary during the day to prepare for their nocturnal adventures.

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