Owls, a unique and unmistakable species that encompass over 200 species inside its two families, are adorable, nocturnal birds. One family is known as true (Strigidae); the other as barn-owl (Tytonidae). They are found in almost every corner of the world. We have covered stories about owls and their journeys, which include being in (and emerging from) Christmas trees. They are typically solitary birds with extraordinarily heightened senses. Some of us have never seen an owl despite their availability and commonality. They’re that secretive.
Patience Pays Off
In 2017, a couple from Arroyo Grande, a small town of around 18,000 inhabitants located in Central California, set up a bird box with the hope that a family of owls might soon set up a nest. The interest began when one of the two was gifted an owl box for Christmas. (Owl boxes can be found anywhere, including on Amazon, and are largish, often stylized, wooden constructions that allow for easy ingress by owls. They are designed to provide a safe nesting place.) This gifted box was placed on an 8-foot pole with a camera installed just in case an owl decided to make the box a cozy home for a bit. But owls were uninterested in the available space and for seven years the box stayed empty until one morning in late March 2024.
Bird enthusiasts heard two barn owls inspecting the box for approval. Inspection by the owls lasted for several days before deciding that the box was indeed suitable for a family move-in. By early April, the soon-to-be mother had laid six eggs. A live feed supplied by the couple’s installed black and white camera played 24/7 on their Owl Cam Gary YouTube subscription page. In May, five of the six eggs had hatched and soon the parents were busy hunting and supplying food for the babies.
The parent owls were lovingly nicknamed Barney Ruble and Betty White. After the hatchings, it was quite an event to watch as the young owls received food brought by both parents. The hatchlings continued to grow and after a period, the maturing birds could be seen outside the box on their own.
A live outdoor color camera has since been installed that focuses on the entrance to the box. You can watch that feed here as it runs 24/7 (best times to watch are after 8:15 p.m.). The other feeds on the YouTube channel are side-by-side adaptations that provide inside and outside views of when the owls were active in and out of the box. You will warm at the site of the beautiful creatures as they hang about the temporary homestead. You can watch them here. As of the middle of July, three of the owls were taking regular flights and returning to the home base.