<ts and mice, spiders and flies, and wolves and elk are all animals that we think of being arch-enemies of one another. But we can add another pair to our list: owls and crows. Anytime crows see an owl flying around they will harass it continually to try and keep the owl awake and annoyed. Although this seems cruel, the crows may not actually be the villains of our story.
Although during the day the crows will bother the owls that are perched somewhere sleeping, at night the tables turn and the owls come out to hunt. Although generally owls do not predate crows, some of the larger breeds of owl will hunting them or their young while they are sleeping or separated. So the next time you hear a bunch of crows causing a tremendous ruckus, they might be defending themselves from a tired owl trying to get some sleep. This is why it is important not to disturb perched owls during the daytime. If they have to leave their perch, they may be driven away and kept awake by the crows.
This time of year is important for owls because many of the owls in Minnesota are currently in their mating seasons. Generally, speaking owls are monogamous and will stay with their mate for at least the length of the breeding season. During this time they get very protective of their territory and will let out calls to make sure other owls stay away.
Get into the Arboretum and try to hear some owl calls. Even if you don’t hear them you may hear some crows pointing you in their direction.
If the owls of Minnesota have piqued your interest, the Minnesota DNR website and Arboretum website are both excellent resources. Additionally, The Owl Pages is a good place to go to learn about owls in a broader context.