”Who cooks for you?” Barred owls!

On Tuesday, February 16 at 7PM, live via Zoom, join the Chocorua Lake Conservancy and the Cook Memorial Library for “Owls by Zoom,” a presentation on New Hampshire owls by CLC Stewardship Director Lynne Flaccus. Eleven species of owls may be seen in New Hampshire. Some nest here, and others are winter visitors, or pass through in the short term. Depending on the species, they may employ different strategies for hunting, diet, habitat use, and nesting. In spite of that diversity, owls also share some common adaptations, unique to owls, that help them to survive.

Join us to explore what makes an owl an owl, what unique adaptations they have, and who might live in your backyard. We’ll use images and calls to explore the natural history of these “living mousetraps” (even though they eat more than mice!). What are the behavioral and physical adaptations that help them to find food—often in the dark or in low light at night—and survive our northern winters? When and where do they nest? What are some tips for finding owls in your neighborhood? 

Like many predators, owls fill an important predator role in forest and field habitats and there are a variety of things we can do to keep them safe and part of local wildlife communities. Come with questions and your own observations to share! Want to build a low-maintenance barred owl nest box? You can find printable instructions here.

To access the talk, go to bit.ly/CLC-owls on Tuesday, February 16, at 7PM. You can also find the live link on the CLC Facebook events page. You probably won’t need to do this, but if prompted to, enter Meeting ID 856 3486 0488.

Naturalist Lynne Flaccus has more than 30 years of experience in land conservation and stewardship, managing protected properties, studying wildlife, and educating adults and children.

Banner: A saw-whet owl looks down from the branch of a white pine. Photo: Greg Shute