Spirit of the Screech Owl
When
night falls we leave our roost. We are empty-nesters now; this yearÕs
fledglings flew away a week or two ago and weÕve lost track of them, which must
mean theyÕre feeding themselves without trouble.[1]
And now that our babies are on their own, itÕs time for my mate and me to focus
on feeding ourselves. I lost a fair amount of weight while raising the chicks,
and winter is on its way.
IÕm
not saying my mate didnÕt do a good job bringing food to the chicks and me when
I was nest-bound. He brought us lots of beetles and moths, and the occasional
Inca dove or juvenile brown rat.[2]
But those four chicks were ravenous, and I donÕt blame them. They did a lot of
growing throughout the spring and summer—from eggs to independent young
adults![3]
So I had to skip quite a few meals to let the chicks grow into strong owls.[4]
We
sleep in a rectangular cavity at the top of a shrub that doesnÕt have any
leaves or branches but stands strong despite these apparent signs of ill
health. When I was younger, I slept in a cavity in an old elm tree, just a
short glide away from where my mate and I raised our most recent clutch. In the
daytime, I would sit in the cavity soaking up the sun and relishing in my
perfect camouflage. Just like my brothers and sisters, I can blend right into
the bark of the local trees.
I
saw everything from that cavity, including the place where I roost now. The
humans nearby would visit it often, taking things out and putting things in. A
man in bue would visit the cavity, too, and do the same. Now the humans have
gone, and weÕve moved into their old trading-box. This bit of woodland is my querencia.[5]
Usually in the winter itÕs harder to find food, and I leave my mate to defend
our home while I spend some time hunting in the evergreen forest.[6]
Each year, I come back to this place for the courting season at the end of the
winter and find that the bachelor owls have stashed lots of food in cavities
for me.[7]
But I always go back to the same mate for he is the best hunter and because of
the way he so fiercely defends his roost at my querencia.
My
mate and I have been hunting this area for years, and so we know all the best
perches. Tonight heÕs going over to the creek to look for opportunities to
swoop down and grab crayfish with his feet.[8]
IÕm going to a thickly wooded area, where the ground is covered in leaves and
beetles are plentiful. Beetles are my favorite food because theyÕre easy to
catch and satisfying to eat.[9]
Like other screech owls, we wonÕt stay on a perch for long; weÕll sit for a few
minutes, and, if nothing materializes, weÕll take advantage of our quiet
feathers and fly to a new vantage point. When we see something we can catch and
eat, weÕll swoop down and snatch it up with our feet.[10]
Now
we are flying. Sometimes I go hunting in the daytime, but today I didnÕt, and
it feels great to stretch my wings and feel the wind whoosh around me.[11]
My mate veers off toward the creek, and I continue on my way to the wooded
hunting ground. I scan the ground as I fly, and listen to the sounds of the
wind and the trees and the creek.
It
only takes a few minutes to reach my first perch of the night. I landed here
two days ago and successfully nabbed a fat, tasty beetle. Like other screech
owls, I like to frequent perches that have recently proven fruitful.[12]
I land on the branch, gripping it with my feet, and adjust myself into a
comfortable position. IÕm not as invisible on a branch as I am wedged into a
tree cavity, I know, but the starlight that falls through the leaves above me
creates a dappling effect that should camouflage me sufficiently. I begin to
watch.
It
doesnÕt take long. A small shape is moving under the top layer of leaf litter.
I hope itÕs a cricket. I am trying to chow down on as many insects as possible
these days; when winter comes, they will be harder to come by. DonÕt get me
wrong; I like eating bony animals, but thereÕs just something special about
seasonal food.
I
stare at the moving leaves, assessing the preyÕs location—and then I go
for it. I zoom down in a straight line, reaching out my talons as I descend. I
grab the leaf litter that was moving and—yes! ItÕs kicking and fighting—I
caught the little animal, and itÕs a cricket, just like IÕd hoped!
I
return to my perch and hold the cricket down with one foot while I use my beak
to pull the leaves away from it. When the cricket is free of leaves, I eat it
in a few bites. Lucky me! ItÕs the first perch of the night, and IÕm already
eating. Of course, it may be my experience, rather than luck. I lift off from
the branch and head towards another favorite perch.
You
have just read my idea of a night in the life of a screech owl. As Ted Andrews
writes in Animal-Speak, the spiritual
leaders of ancient cultures Òwould adopt the guise of animals—wearing
skins and masks—to symbolize a reawakening and endowing of oneself with
specific energies.Ó[13] Like
Andrews, I believe animals have a deep understanding of the way they fit into
the world. I doubt I am unique among humans in struggling with that
understanding, so I adopted the guise of the screech owl and imagined a night
in her life, in the hopes of learning from her wisdom.
Screech
owls are a visual example of an animal that fits perfectly into the world.
Their camouflage, as my screech owl alter ego mentioned earlier, is flawless.
They really do look just like tree bark. When they feel threatened, screech
owls can enhance the effect even further by assuming whatÕs called a ÒcrypticÓ
position, Òincluding slim posture, squinted eyes, and erect ÔearÕ tufts.Ó[14]
Below is a photo of a screech owl imitating a tree trunk.
You
might be wondering what a human can learn from a screech owlÕs camouflage. Perhaps,
it is a lesson about ego. The screech owl knows that the best way to achieve
her goal is to blend into her surroundings. There is no need to be seen. In my
efforts to be a leader, IÕve often sought recognition for my accomplishments.
When I work hard, I want others to acknowledge that IÕve done so. But I think I
should be more like the screech owl, who stays out of sight and mimics one of
the most beautiful and sacred living things—a tree, which also stands
quiet and noble.
The
screech owlÕs behavior is as practical and dignified as her plumage. She flies
quietly and hunts with patience, but she moves on quickly when she doesnÕt see
prey. Screech owls will eat just about anything they can catch, it seems;
Òrepellent secretions or various physical defensesÓ donÕt bother them.[15]
They store food for later, too.[16]
I think I can learn from the screech owlÕs practicality. They use the resources
available and plan for the future. Any leader can benefit from building those
skills.
Screech
owlsÕ practicality helps make them excellent parents. They pair off every year
around February, after a period of courtship in which males bring food to
females. A female will choose her mate based on his ability to capture food and
the quality of the nesting location he has claimed.[17]
Then, the owls are parents for several months, raising their chicks from eggs
into fledglings and, finally, self-sufficient owls. During this time, the male
and female work together as a team. Each has a role. The mother incubates the
eggs and, when they hatch, she keeps the babies warm and safe. The father goes
out hunting and brings food back to his family. One doesnÕt have to be a parent
to be a leader, but I think good parents are great examples of cooperation, and
the ability to cooperate is essential to leadership. Below is a photo of an
adult screech owl and its four babies. The other parent canÕt be far away.
[ii] Humans
like me can learn a lot from animals like the screech owl. Animals, as I
mentioned before, are wise in a way that most humans arenÕt, but if we listen
to the lessons they teach, we might become better leaders and better people.
The humble, practical, cooperative, and family-oriented screech owl is my
spirit animal, and as I learn more about the world, I will remember to take a
moment to see life through the screech owlÕs eyes.
Illustrations:
Video: A montage of a screech owl family much
like my own
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