282 Practical Bird-Keeping .— V. Hazvks and Owls.


Several Owls may safely be kept together, but as most

species breed readily in confinement they should be separated

into pairs in the spring, or fighting (and murder) is pretty sure

to take place. Birds of the same sex will live together without

much fighting at all times of the year, but should a pair mate

they will soon kill off any other inmates. The loss of birds in

this way does not necessarily mean that they kill each other by

fighting, it more often happens that the weaker are driven to one

corner of the aviary from which they dare not move, and become,

in consequence starved. In the autumn, Owls need a much larger

amount of food and, where several kinds are kept together,

unless they are very much overfed, the weaker will have a bad

chance, but it must be remembered that if overfed, as is usually the

case, they will never be in condition or come into breeding trim.


When breeding, they require no special attention, but when

the young are hatched they should, if possible, be given nothing

but mice, rats and other natural food.


Owls will do very well in an aviary with a total absence of

sun, but, on the other hand, many species do enjoy occasionally

a‘bask’in the sun, though it is in no way essential to their

health ; the same remarks apply to a bath.


Comparatively few species of Owls are commonly kept;

the Eagle Owl is the largest and finest species usually met with

and nests very freely. The eggs are generally laid in March in

a depression scraped in the floor of the aviary, and incubation is

carried out by the lieu alone. The approach of the breeding

season is heralded by the almost continuous hooting, the male and

female answering each other continuously and with monotonous

frequency. Care must, of course, be taken when entering the

cage, or even if standing near it, as both birds are at this time

extremely savage. This may also be said of most species when

nesting, except the Barn Owl, which I have found extremely

docile, allowing itself to be lifted off her young or eggs without

a protest.


Probably the most delightful Owls to keep are the Scops,

they are small and quite inoffensive and may comfortably be kept

in a living room in an ordinary cage and allowed out periodically

to exercise their wings. For this and other small species the



