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I’d say it’s common to question what owls eat and how exactly they go about catching their food but I think a big question that can often be overlooked is how often do owls eat? Since we don’t really recommend having owls as pets, unless you are a registered handler and it’s in the owl’s best interest to be kept in a sanctuary, it isn’t necessary to know the answer to this question (since we won’t be feeding them). But have you ever wondered how many small mammals a day it takes to fill an owl’s tummy to keep them satisfied? I know I have… so here we are, you’re about to find out too! (if you read on). To summarize the answer quickly for those of you who just want the answer and don’t want to read on to find out - the answer to the question ‘how often do owls eat’ will of course depend on the age of the owl and the size of the owl but generally speaking an adult owl will eat preferably around three times a day and an owlet will eat one to two times a day. From what I could find, most of the information available is about Barn Owls which is no surprise really since there is always more information on any topic regarding owls when its related to Barn owls so I guess we can start there. So, it seems that adult Barn Owls will probably eat around 2 meals per day depending on size. If the prey is something small like a mouse or a vole it could potentially be more like 3-4 meals a day but larger prey would be around 2 per day. Going for larger prey is always better as the owl won’t have to hunt as much so catching 2 fat chicks (sorry chicks – and just to clarify I mean the birds) will be a great hearty meal for an owl if that’s all they manage to find that day but a smaller meal is better than nothing. Often Barn Owls have been known to vary how many meals they eat depending on the weather. If it is warm then they will eat less whereas when they are surviving in the cold they will try to eat more. I suppose this would make sense universally for all animals not just owls as cold winters mean we need lots of food to maintain energy to keep warm. Often owls must take whatever they can find because sometimes food can be scarce, this could mean an owl will eat more than average one day to make up for a lack of food the day prior. Luckily owl’s diets are very varied and versatile so they can live and thrive in many different locations and environments with plenty of prey options. Owls will hunt anything from fish to reptiles to small mammals to amphibians and anything in between. Sometimes owls will even hunt other smaller birds or small measly insects if needs must. Eastern Screech-Owls that live in the South of the US will prey on rodents and lizards mostly whereas Owls living in the North won’t be snacking on lizards. Generally, it seems that adult owls will aim for anything from 2-4 average sized meals per day. 1 meal a day would be too little unless it had caught a rather large prey whereas 5 meals a day would be a bit of a feast. Apparently Eastern Screech-Owls generally consume around 25% of their body weight daily which sounds about right because an owl that is too full may find flying difficult due to being heavier. Often owls only really fly to hunt anyway so an owl will generally sit in a chosen spot after a meal for the remainder of the day unless disturbed while they digest. How often will an Owlet feed? This is a slightly harder question to answer because the answer lies in how often the parents supply food and how much they manage to catch. From this point of view, I will answer the question regarding what would be ideal for an owlet rather than the reality of an owlets feed. This information is based from those who have hand reared owls from birth. Within the first few weeks, the owlet will eat around 2 chicks a day (chicks for reference size so this would be more if we were talking tiny voles etc.), one in the morning and one in the evening so there’s plenty of time for digestion and regurgitation of a pellet before the next meal. (Always ensure the owlet has regurgitated the pellet before another feed or it can become lodged in the abdomen and lead to death!). When the owlet passes the 3-week mark, each meal can be increased to two chicks so 4 meals per day. The owlet may not eat this much but it can be offered - don’t exceed this amount as you don’t want to overfeed. After 4ish weeks different food types and sizes can be introduced and this can increase the portion size but keep to around 2 meals per day. I hope this article has been helpful and let you know a little bit more about how often owls feed and how many meals equals a happy bird! :)