Owls! Can there be any group of birds more fascinating than these mostly nocturnal, secretive species? Inyo County is host to nine different kinds of owls. They are found from below sea level in our driest deserts to over 10,000′ in our most dense forests.
The BARN OWL is a fairly common permanent resident found all over the county as high as 5,000′ at Deep Springs Valley and as low as -178′ at Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley. Barn Owls occur where there are open areas for hunting rodents, and nearby cliffs, dense vegetation, or man-made structures for roosting. Irregularly stacked bales of alfalfa have crevices which are used as roost sites. The first Barn Owl recorded for Inyo County was a dead one found at Alvord (Big Pine) in June 1891. Their call, a strong raspy hiss, is often heard at night along the Owens River and over towns.
The very secretive, tiny, nocturnal FLAMMULATED OWL is probably a fairly common summer resident, yet we know of its existence in the county by less than a dozen records. In September and October these birds move south to Mexico and Central America and return from March through May. Records exist from -178′ at Furnace Creek Ranch to 10,400′ in the White Mountains at Schulman Grove where a pair raised two young in the summer of 1990. Their preferred habitat for breeding is coniferous forest. The earliest county record was an immature female found dead in the Argus Mountains 11 August 1931.
The WESTERN SCREECH OWL is a fairly common permanent resident over most of the county. Its elevational range is from minus 178′ at Furnace Creek Ranch to over 8000′ in the White Mountains. Its call, like a bouncing ball increasing in tempo, is heard in towns, along rivers and streams and in coniferous forests. Juveniles have been sighted in Bishop and Big Pine. Surprisingly it was not recorded by the Death Valley Expedition of 1891. The first county record wasn’t until 29 September 1917 in the Panamint Mountains.
The GREAT HORNED OWL is a fairly common permanent resident found over the entire county. They occupy all habitats from the desert scrub of Death Valley to the coniferous forests up to 9000′ in the Sierra. This large nocturnal predator was first recorded in the Panamint Mountains by the Death Valley Expedition in early April 1891. Juveniles have been found along the Owens River, at Deep Springs and Devil’s Gate on the Eureka Valley Road.
The tiny, partially diurnal NORTHERN PYGMY OWL is at best very uncommon and probably a rare permanent resident of coniferous forests. There are about ten records for the county from 3925′ at Independence to 8500′ in the pinyons of the Inyo Mountains. The first historical record was in the Panamint Mountains on 30 September 1917 by Joseph Grinnell from the University of California, Berkeley.
The small, partially diurnal BURROWING OWL is a locally uncommon summer resident. There are only a few winter records which suggests that during mild winters a few may remain. These ground owls prefer open areas with either elevated mounds of dirt or fence posts upon which they can survey their territory. They have been recorded from -260′ at Bennett’s Well, Death Valley to 5000′ in Deep Springs Valley. The first county record was 11 May 1891 at Coso Valley by the Death Valley Expedition. Juveniles have been observed in Death Valley and Panamint Valley.
The LONG-EARED OWL, an uncommon permanent resident, has been found from -178′ at Furnace Creek Ranch to 10,500′ in the White Mountains. Records exist for the entire county but this secretive, dense-cover-preferring owl is often overlooked. Juveniles have been found along the Owens River, in Death Valley National Monument, and in most mountain ranges. Not recorded by the 1891 Death Valley Expedition, the first historical record was from the Panamint Mountains in October, 1917.
The grass dwelling SHORT-EARED OWL is a rare to very uncommon migrant and winter visitor. One summer record may reflect breeding but so far there is no conclusive evidence. The Cottonwood Springs area of Owens Lake has potential as a breeding site as does the Warm Springs area south of Bishop. They are known to breed north of us in Mono County and south of us in San Bernardino County so effort should be made to find the first nest. Most of the ten records are from Furnace Creek Ranch and a few from near Big Pine. The earliest historical record was from Furnace Creek Ranch on 8 December 1933.
Though the less than ten records would indicate that the small, secretive NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL is a rare permanent resident it is more likely only uncommon. Records exist from Furnace Creek Ranch (-178′) to its preferred coniferous forest over 10,000′ in the Sierra. The first record was at Wyman Canyon in the White Mountains by Alden Miller in June 1954 where juveniles were present.
CORRECTION: In a recent article in THE WAVE we covered Inyo’s Hummingbirds. Allen’s Hummingbird was listed based on a specimen from the Death Valley Museum. On reading the original paperwork we found that the specimen was found desiccated in the back of a car. Yes, the bird could have flown in where it was later found but it could also have died in the car hundreds of miles from Inyo and been transported here. Based on that possibility it must be deleted from the county list. Fame is fleeting!
Tags: hummingbird, owl