Do Owls Eat Squirrels?

Owls, with their keen hunting skills and silent flight, are formidable predators. A question that often arises among backyard bird lovers is whether these owls eat squirrels. The answer is yes, many owl species do prey on squirrels as part of their diverse feeding habits. Let’s take a closer look at this aspect of owl predation, including which owls are most likely to eat squirrels.

Which Owls Eat Squirrels?

Just as with eating rabbits, the larger and more generalized owl species regularly hunt tree, flying and ground squirrels depending on local abundance and distribution.

Here are some of the main owl species in North America that are known to prey on squirrels:

Great Horned Owl – One of the primary squirrel predators. Powerful enough to take adult tree and ground squirrels.
Barred Owl – Common owl that will hunt both tree and ground squirrels opportunistically.
Northern Saw-whet Owl – Small but ferocious, known to take flying and tree squirrels.
Long-eared Owl – Hunts on the ground at dawn/dusk and has been observed eating ground squirrels.
Short-eared Owl – Another specialist ground hunter that includes tree and ground squirrels in its diet.
Great Gray Owl – Found in boreal forests eating red squirrels and other tree squirrels.
Northern Hawk Owl – Also lives in northern forests preying on red squirrels mainly.
Spotted Owl – Has been documented hunting both flying and tree squirrels in its western range.
Barn Owl – An opportunistic predator known to eat ground squirrels and other small rodents.

The Hunting Behavior of Owls with Squirrels

Owls use their exceptional hearing and night vision to locate squirrels. They typically hunt from a perch, swooping down silently on their prey. Owls have strong talons and a sharp beak, which are used to kill and dismember the squirrel. Their silent flight and surprise attack strategy are particularly effective against squirrels, which often rely on their keen sense of hearing to avoid predators.

Like other prey, squirrels are also fed to owl chicks. Adult owls will tear the squirrel into small pieces to feed their young, providing them with essential nutrients for growth. This also serves as a learning opportunity for the young owls, who observe and mimic the hunting techniques of their parents.

Squirrels Prey on Owls, Too

The fact that owls eat squirrels is all part of the balance of nature–and it may be a little bit of payback time, too. Squirrels are known to prey on owl eggs and baby owls or owlets.

Eastern gray squirrels have been observed raiding nest boxes containing young barred owl owlets. They have eaten or carried off owlets from the nest.
Red squirrels are known predators of boreal owl nests in northern forests. They will enter nest cavities and eat owl eggs and young chicks.
Flying squirrels have also been reported eating eggs and young of northern saw-whet owls nesting in tree cavities or nest boxes.
Ground squirrels may occasionally raid burrowing owl nest burrows, though the owls often aggressively defend the entrance.

So while owls are formidable squirrel predators themselves as adults, squirrels can and do on occasion raid owl nests, especially when other food sources are limited. The owlets are easy targets inside the confined nest space.

It’s all part of the balance of nature. Squirrels form an important part of the diet for many owl species. These birds of prey play a critical role in controlling squirrel populations, which helps maintain ecological balance.