How to Make an Owl Leave Your Yard
Owls are powerful birds of prey with a well-deserved position at the top of the food chain, along with falcons, hawks, eagles and other raptors. Although owls are beneficial birds that help control pests such as mice, voles, snakes, skunks and insects, they may present a danger to pets, poultry and small animals when they establish a territory too near a home or garden. Plus, they can be a bit noisy. Also, the smell of their feces and regurgitated remains of their meals on small mammals are sometimes offensive. Use habitat modification and other techniques that encourage owls to take up residence elsewhere.
Don't Attract Other Birds
Remove songbird feeders from your yard for a few days. Although songbirds may miss dining at the feeders, the absence of the food - and small birds - may encourage the owl to find its meals elsewhere. That's because owls are natural predators of smaller birds.
Make Some Noise
Determine where the owl is perching and then shine a bright light on the perch at night. Use other techniques that frighten or annoy the owl, such as noisemakers, alarms, horns or whistles. Continue for several nights. If the owl becomes sufficiently annoyed, it may find a more peaceful nesting site. Note that this method of deterring owls isn't practical if you have neighbors nearby who may be annoyed by the noise.
Protect Your Pets
Keep your pet cats indoors or in an enclosed area like an enclosed patio protected by wire mesh that owls can't access. For dogs, keep them indoors at night and supervise them when they are outside in your yard during the day. Although owls prefer smaller, easier prey, larger birds such as great horned owls may prey on small cats or dogs. If you raise chickens or other poultry, keep the birds in a coop or chicken house at night. Cover the top of the pen with chicken wire.
Remove Nesting Spots
Repair possible nesting sites such as holes in roofing and exterior walls. Place a screen over chimneys. Owls like to nest in these areas and if they can't access them, they will be more apt to nest elsewhere. If neighbors have nesting boxes to attract owls, request that they remove them.
Take Away Roosting Spots
Remove perches such as dead trees and tree snags within 100 yards of your house or yard. In addition, clean up brush piles that harbor mice and other small animals. Owls are more likely to remain in your yard if they have easy access to prey. If food is scarce, they are more likely to take up residence elsewhere.
Deter Rodents From Your Yard
One of the main things that owls feed on is small rodents. Deter rodents by removing brush piles in your yard that may attract them. You can also install ultrasonic devices that emit sounds only rodents can hear to discourage them from hanging around. Without mice to hunt, owls should avoid your yard.
Never shoot or poison an owl under any circumstance, as state and federal permits are required. The permits, which are issued only when other nonlethal means prove ineffective, are provided if the owl presents a serious danger to public health. State and local permits are also required for trapping and relocation of owls.
- AvianWeb.com: Resolving Backyard Wildlife Problems
- Alabama Cooperative Extension System: Owls
- Audubon: Frequently Asked Questions About Birds
- Texas A & M Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences: Protecting Pets from Predators
- Extension: Great Horned Owl Decimating Chickens
- Discover Wildlife: How to Identify Owl Pellets
- University of Nebraska - Lincoln: Use of Frightening Devices in Wildlife Damage Management
M.H. Dyer began her writing career as a staff writer at a community newspaper and is now a full-time commercial writer. She writes about a variety of topics, with a focus on sustainable, pesticide- and herbicide-free gardening. She is an Oregon State University Master Gardener and Master Naturalist and holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative nonfiction writing.