This is a question that I was really interested in learning about because is there anything cuter than the idea of two owls staying together for life? Surely not! I therefore decided to read up on this topic and put together what I found in the post below. Firstly, its important to remember that breeding is the most important aspect of an animals life because they are biologically driven to continue their species and reproduce. Therefore, finding a partner is a main priority and sometimes these partners become a lifelong mate.
So, do owls mate for life?
The answer is yes owls do mate for life, most of the time. Generally owls tend to be monogamous, which means that the male and female owl that choose to be together will not reproduce with any other mate. This monogamous relationship tends to be for life. There are some owls known to change their partner each breeding season but the general rule within bird species overall is that monogamous long term relationships works better (around 90% of birds agree)!
Sadly for people like me who swooned over this mating for life idea, I was gutted to find out its not so much about romance but more so for practical reasons. These reasons are listed below:
- Time is not needed to keep finding a new mate so breeding can begin at the very start of breeding season.
- Finding a mate takes time and energy that the bird can use on survival if they only do this search once in their lifetime. Some owls don’t live very long in the wild, e.g. Barn Owls only live for around 4 years and therefore don’t want to spend time continuously finding mates.
- the partnership between the birds will improve each breeding season so that the birds become elite at raising young together.
- The majority of owls are not migratory which means they tend to pick a nesting site and stay there long-term. Once this nesting site has been established, it makes sense that both owls remain together so they can remain in the shared nest they have created and help protect it together. Owls are extremely territorial and this trait comes out strong during breeding as they will risk their lives to protect their nests.
Therefore to quickly summarise a couple of owls that are known to mate for life these include:
- Barn Owls
- Barred Owls
- Great Horned Owls
- Eastern Screech Owls
Barn Owls
Barn Owls are probably named the most romantic of the owl species for their techniques to attract a mate and their devotion to one single mate for the entirety of their lives. They are even known to be affectionate all year round, not just at breeding season. Barn Owls can often be seen preening their mate, leaning on one another and cheek-rubbing. Barn Owls will hunt for their chosen mate and woo them with their impressive hunting skills. Sadly if their mate was to die, they have even been known to die of a broken heart by becoming unresponsive to its needs and starving to death (otherwise they may just find a new mate but lets not talk about that). Their life long bonds lead them to great team work when it comes to raising their young, the female will incubate the eggs while the male brings back food. Once hatched they will continue with this routine as the dad will let the mum equally distribute the food to the hatchlings.
Sadly it has been known for Barn Owls to go through what they would consider a ‘divorce’. This is because the owls will make it clear they are over before they decide to find a new mate. These ‘divorces’ are not common but can occur if one partner is not producing enough offspring. If the pair are not successful at mating and their chicks are not surviving well, the pair may decide to separate. The owls will have, in human terms ‘a big argument’ where the male is kicked from the nest and this is understood between the two owls that this courtship has come to an end. Since Barn Owls have a natural loyalty they will not move onto another mate until this has occurred. Barn Owls will not usually nest with another mate unless they have been through this ‘divorce’. Divorce is not desirable for these owls though because it has been found that those who mate for life had the highest chick survival rate!
Barred Owls
It has been assumed that Barred Owls must mate for life as they are known to occupy the same areas for many years which suggests that they stay with the same mate and together they protect their territory. They tend to nest very early and the pair will nest together until the young are born. Once the owlets are born the male will roost nearby until they have fled the nest. If it is true that the Barred Owls mate for life, this would mean they can often be together for 15-20 years. The Centre for Wildlife in York has told the story of their Barred Owl Byron that they cannot release due to permanent injury. This Barred Owl has found a life long mate named Fern, also non-releasable. Byron is so devoted to his mate that he refuses to eat until Fern has finished the food that she wants, therefore to ensure Byron eats enough they must remove him from the cage for feeding – I’m not sure i’ve ever heard anything cuter than this!
Great Horned Owls
Beginning in the fall, the Great Horned Owl will begin its courtship displays to find its perfect mate for life, they have been known to take their time picking their mate (and quite rightly so since this will be their partner for life). Often they will call loudly with their range of vocalisations awaiting a response and this can take a month to six weeks. By hooting back and forth the pair will engage in a duet and if the male wants to really convince the female then he may bring her food. Once they choose their mate, Great Horned Owls will lay 1-5 eggs each year. By mating for life they are able to share in the defence of their territory as they can occupy the same territory for many years.
Eastern Screech Owls
The courtship routine for Eastern Screech Owls is very intricate beginning with a male calling to the female and moving closer and closer until they are able to bob their head and body in a way that shows they are interested. If the female responds positively then the male will continue closer to the female ready to begin preening and bill touching. Once the mate has been chosen this will be for life… usually. Eastern Screech Owls will accept new mates if their mate dies or disappears and it has been known (although rare) that some males may mate with two different females and the second female may take over the first females nest, taking the first females eggs as her own alongside her own eggs – The absolute cheek of it!! I was unsure whether to include this owl on this list of Romeos for this reason but for now it is keeping its spot for its ability to be faithful when it chooses.
In conclusion owls do tend to mate for life as this is the most beneficial way to breed. Although there are the few exceptions, owls seem very happy in their long-term monogamous ways! (If only other species could follow their lead eh?)
