The 7 Most Interesting Things About Owning An Owls As Pets

This article discusses the avalanche of misleading information and that individuals tend to have varied guidelines for exotic pets. Owls are iconic creatures. Their large, expressive eyes and peculiar calls distinguish them from other birds. People often question whether they would be suitable pets, which is not helped by their frequent appearances in children’s films. Nevertheless, the true solution to this issue is complex.

1. Simple Diet

People are explicitly advised on several websites that owls are difficult to feed. They protest that the presence of dead mice and birds in your freezer makes them poor pets. Strangely, despite having to do this little unpleasant aspect of pet maintenance, snake owners never complain about it, and thus, there aren’t many websites that argue that keeping snakes as pets is improper.

In addition, owls have a simpler diet than parrots. It is more difficult to maintain raptors at a healthy weight for hunting. Thus the correct food must be selected and proportioned according to the bird’s size and energy requirements to prevent it from becoming overweight or underweight. They only need feeding once daily, either at night or late in the afternoon.

Because raptors require various nutrients, you should not give them just one sort of food. In contrast, owls only need a few items, but parrots require a wide variety of foods, including fresh and cooked vegetables, seeds, prepared dishes, and even boiled pasta and bird-friendly bread.

Most species of raptors consume day-old chicks as their primary food source due to their high metabolic and gross energy content. Other prey must consist of entire quail, young rats, and, to a lesser degree, mice. These complete prey items would provide a nutritious diet. There are also commercial diets designed specifically for raptors. As with most odd pets, no one knows what owls consume.

2. Nighttime Animals.

While this may appear negative, certain individuals may find it advantageous since owls are mostly active at night. Daily care is required for diurnal parrots, which might interfere with their owners’ professions and interests. People who like spending time with their pets in the evening should get nocturnal creatures.

Even though they prefer to be up at night, nocturnal animals often adapt to their owners’ schedules and may stay awake during the day, but in a much more subdued manner. Most owl species are crepuscular or active in the dark and morning. Most owls are active between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., a boon for individuals who work from 9 to 5.

3. Solitary

Most of those who maintain exotic birds as pets do so as companion animals. Some softbills, like parrots, need regular care from their owners or the companionship of another bird. These creatures create intimate connections with their partners and may even be monogamous in the wild.

Outside the mating season, many owls live alone and have little desire for human companionship. Even sociable creatures like barn owls may learn to exist independently. Living in captivity is a tremendous advantage since social isolation may reduce the quality of life for sociable creatures.

4. It’s legal In The US.

In the United States, native owls cannot be employed for anything other than teaching or research unless the falconer has completed a lengthy training program. Then, several internet sites and dishonest falconers misunderstand (or fabricate) this information to assert that owls are prohibited.

Non-native owls entering the United States are not regulated under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. If your state and municipality permit it, you may own them. Unlike other exotic pets such as foxes, great apes, raccoons, and exotic felids, owls are likely permitted in more states. Politicians pay less attention to birds as pets since they are more culturally acceptable.

The disadvantage is that there are few species. Only the very large and powerful Eurasian eagle owl and the speckled owl are often traded. However, it is possible to import more exotic animals that would make excellent pets if they were smaller.

5. Idle

Compared to other birds of prey, owls are considered less energetic; hence many owl species in captivity are content to sit on a perch and do nothing, in contrast to a parrot, which requires a great deal of activity. Even while hunting in the wild, owls save as much as potential energy. They wait for their victim to approach them before launching a swift assault.

This may be accomplished by training captive owls to hunt or fly to other perches. Owls need less living area than other birds of prey. As novel stimuli easily stress raptors, their cage requires visual barriers and maybe a tiny window to the outside. A side from training, they need various-sized perches and are “loose.”

6. Distinct And Intriguing.

Owls are interesting, entertaining birds to observe. For instance, they can move their heads to 270 degrees, and the “transforming owl” (northern white-faced owl) may assume a different form. Due to their limited minds, several websites claim that owls and other raptors are unfriendly and only care about hunting and other fundamental animal urges.

However, this is not the only reason people keep dogs. Fish are not cuddly as pets, but they are entertaining to observe. Some individuals would pay to hold and observe an owl for a few minutes. Owl owners handle and observe their owls every day. Even if hunting is the only thing that matters to certain animals, their carers will still get to know their distinct personalities. Pet owls are very popular among people for obvious reasons.

7. Lifespan

Many non-falconers and falconers believe that keeping owls as non-hunting pets is unethical since they belong in the wild. However, these birds may frequently survive longer in captivity than in the wild. Additionally, these birds do not live as long as parrots, who may live up to 70 years. Depending on the species, their lifespan is only 10–30 years.