The Boreal Owl

A Boreal Owl is a fun bird to see while bird watching. Below are some tips to help you identify Boreal Owls. We have also put together a list of fun Boreal Owl t-shirts, Boreal Owl bird patches, birdhouses, bird feeders, binoculars, stickers, and other fun bird-watching items.

About Boreal Owls

The Boreal Owl is a fairly small owl going by the standards of most owls in the family. It is also known as the Tengmalm’s owl or the Richardson’s owl, named after Peter Gustaf Tengmalm and Sir John Richardson respectively. The bird is native to North America but can still be found in Europe and Asia. The population in North America does not face any immediate threat although the status in western mountain regions is unknown.

Description and Identification

The scientific name of the Boreal Owl is Aegolius funereus. It is also known as Tengmalm’s owl. It is a
small owl which is located in North America. They can be identified in the colors of white and grayish
brown. The Owl has a white spotting with its forehead being whitish where the crown of the owl is
grayish-brown and has a gray and white facial disc with a blackish-brown border. The weight of the owl
ranges between 3.3 to 7.6 or 93-215 g. The young owls’ plunge is the color of chocolate brown.

Boreal Owl Color Pattern

They have brown upperparts with white flecking on their shoulders while the underparts are white streaked with rust-brown markings. Their head is large with distinctive yellow eyes and a white facial disc.

Boreal Owl Size

They are fairly small among their family with a body length ranging from 22-27cm. Their wingspan is 50-62cm and a body mass averaging 120g.

Boreal Owl Behavior

They are nocturnal birds that hunt at night but extremely shy to human activity making them extremely evasive birds. When attacking their prey, they glide to the ground and grab the prey using their talons. They are not social birds thus being rendered as solitary birds.

Couple pairs only meet up during courtship and feeding. The Boreal Owl does not brood with the female. Males court female with food and song and continue to feed the female for over three months prior to her nesting.

Boreal Owl Food

They tend to hunt their food during the nighttime in the conifer forests and usually in the summertime it
is not that dark during the nighttime in the forests where they wait for their prey, hunt them, and
capture them with their talons. They can capture their prey even if they are hidden under the snow, or
in the dense vegetation as their ears can locate the sounds of their prey. Females generally stay with the
young owl for most of the time and the males would go hunting and bring food. Females also hunt the
prey and bring back food as well.

They mostly feed on small mammals such as voles and mice. They could also take on small squirrels, pocket gophers, and shrews. The Boreal Owl also eats small birds and insects especially crickets.

Boreal Owl Habitat

They are found in the Rocky Mountains in the western regions and also found in the southern region
and Canada under the mixed woods and in conifer forests. They nest in conifer forest trees like aspen or
spruce. These habitats can only be found in high mountains in the southern region of America and
during the winter season, they usually invade conifer forests in groves. They generally tend to be located
in lower elevation forests.

Interested birdwatchers can find them in conifer and mixed-wood forests. They nest in coniferous forests with spruce or fir trees mixed with aspen or birch trees.

Range and Migration

The Boreal Owl is rarely found in scarce places in North America below 4,000 feet. They are seen much
less in North America. They usually come out every night in the spring season and are mostly found in
Washington, and on the mountain ranges in the western United States. These Owls aren’t known to the
world until 1972. They do not migrate regularly rather they tend to migrate on lower elevation locations
that are best suitable for them. The winter season is not a good migrating range for them which may
bring them to unusual locations.

Boreal Owl Life Cycle

The females lay between 3-4 eggs and they incubate the eggs on their own for 26-32 days. The young are fed by the male for the first 3 weeks when the female is able to go hunting. The young take their first flight 28-36 days after hatching. The Boreal Owl has a lifespan of about 16 years.

They nest each year in different locations as they do not stay at one place for a long period. They start
nesting at the beginning of late winter or early in the spring season where males sing songs to attract
the female species and also to render their territory as well. The male usually brings food to the females
and their young owls. The food which is eaten by the young owl will be feeding on small mammals such
as mice, squirrels, insects, and shrews, etc. They nest in conifer forests where they either use artificial
nest boxes or depend on the woodpecker’s hole where they can make a nest for themselves. They nest
naturally between 20-80 above the ground level.

Boreal Owl Nesting

They nest each year in different locations as they do not stay at one place for a long period. They start
nesting at the beginning of late winter or early in the spring season where males sing songs to attract
the female species and also to render their territory as well. The male usually brings food to the females
and their young owls. The food which is eaten by the young owl will be feeding on small mammals such
as mice, squirrels, insects, and shrews, etc. They nest in conifer forests where they either use artificial
nest boxes or depend on the woodpecker’s hole where they can make a nest for themselves. They nest
naturally between 20-80 above the ground level.

Ornithology

Bird Watching Academy & Camp Subscription Boxes

At Bird Watching Academy & Camp we help kids, youth, and adults get excited and involved in bird watching. We have several monthly subscription boxes that you can subscribe to. Our monthly subscription boxes help kids, youth, and adults learn about birds, bird watching, and bird conservation.

Bird Watching Binoculars for Identifying Boreal Owls

The most common types of bird-watching binoculars for viewing Boreal Owls are 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. Bird Watching Academy & Camp sells really nice 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. You can view and purchase them here.

Boreal Owl T-shirts

If you love the Boreal Owl you should purchase a Bird Watching Academy & Camp T-shirt. To help support bird conservation we donate 10 percent to bird conservation activities.

Boreal Owl Iron On Patches

Kids, Youth, and Adults love to collect our Bird Watching Academy & Camp iron-on patches. Our bird-watching patches help you keep track of the birds you have seen and identified. You can also display the patches on our Bird Watching Academy & Camp banners.

The Boreal Owl is a great iron-on patch to start your collection with. The patches are durable and can be sewn on or ironed on to just about anything.

Boreal Owl Stickers

Stickers are a great way for you to display your love for bird watching and the Boreal Owl. We sell a monthly subscription sticker pack. The sticker packs have 12 bird stickers. These sticker packs will help your kids learn new birds every month.

Bird Feeders for Boreal Owls

There are many types of bird feeders. Here are our favorite bird feeders for your backyard. We use all of these bird feeders currently. Kids will have a great time watching birds eat at these bird feeders. Using this collection of bird feeders will provide a wide variety and many types of birds.

Best Bird Houses for Boreal Owls

There are many types of birdhouses. Building a birdhouse is always fun but can be frustrating. These 4 birdhouses have become our favorites. Getting a birdhouse for kids to watch birds grow is always fun. We spent a little extra money on these birdhouses but they have been worth the higher price and look great.