An owls lifespan can vary massively depending on whether an owl is wild or in captivity but this isn’t the only varying factor, owls lifespan can vary between species, location, likelihood of disease and injury, predators, weather and much more.
So, how long do owls live?
Owls live around 10 years’ in the wild, and anything up to 30 years in captivity. Owls live much longer in captivity; the longest living owl was said to have lived around 30 years in captivity. Unlike dogs, the larger the owl species, the longer the owl tends to live.
See the below table that summarises a variety of different species and their general life span. The table also shows the main threat to these owls causing the most deaths.
| Species of Owl | Life Expectancy in the Wild | Life Expectancy in Captivity | Biggest threats |
| Barn Owl | 5-9 years | 15+ years | Roads / continuous bad weather / loss of barns and nesting structures / rodent poison |
| Snowy Owl | 7-10 years | 30+ years | Climate change / habitat loss / decrease in prey / traffic, wind turbines, communication towers |
| Great Horned Owl | 10-12 years | 25+ years | Humans / Golden Eagles / Northern Goshawks |
| Tawny Owl | 3-7 years | 15+ years | Environmental changes effecting prey numbers |
| Barred Owl | 10 years | 20+ years | Loss of suitable nest sites / destruction of forests |
| Great Gray Owl | 7-12 years | 40+ years | Habitat loss / fragmentation through timber harvest and development |
| Burrowing Owl | 3-9 years | 12+ years | Habitat destruction caused by land development / poison due to poisoning of prairie dogs |
| Screech Owl | 2-8 years | 15+ years | Loss of habitat / preyed on by larger owls and hawks |
| Short eared Owl | 12 years | 15+ years | Habitat loss / lack of knowledge and understanding of their requirements and needs |
| Elf Owl | 5 years | 10+ years | Habitat loss / predators |
| Long Eared Owl | 10 years | 10+ years | Habitat loss or fragmentation |
| Northern Hawk Owl | 10 years | 10+ years | Distribution of prey in mainly winter |
| Northern Pygmy | 3 years | 3 – 7 years | Climate change / habitat loss |
| Northern Saw-Whet | 7 years | 15+ years | Decline and degradation of old forests |
| Flammulated Owl | 7 years | 7+ years | Habitat loss / timber harvest operations / pesticide over use |
Why Do Owls Live Longer in Captivity?
Owls live longer in captivity mainly because they are protected from danger/predators, have constant food supply, and medical treatment when needed. Owls that are declining in the wild often thrive within captivity, for example the Barn owl. Barn owls breed very easily in captivity and therefore the numbers can be easily maintained in captivity and the older owls can be kept safe from early death.
This is not to argue that captivity is better for these owls, often it is not. Captivity is brilliant for endangered owls (to help the species be maintained), for poorly or injured owls (to nurse them back to health), and as educational means (to raise money and awareness for owls) but, owls are wild animals and therefore that is where they generally should remain – in the wild. Owls may live longer in captivity but this isn’t always the most fulfilled life for these owls, a shorter, more fulfilled life is more worthwhile than a longer, less fulfilled life. There are negatives to captivity sometimes as the care of the owls may not always be up to the best standards.
Why Does Owl Size Affect Life Span?
It is quite uncommon for larger breeds/species of animals to live longer than their smaller counterparts. Larger animals often have more health issues related to their size as their heart has to work harder and their muscles and bones become stiffer over time. Dogs are a great example of this, a healthy Great Dane is unlikely to outlive a healthy Chihuahua. With owls this is not the case, larger owl species live much longer than smaller owl species and the main reason for this is that they rank higher in the food chain. There are less predators when they are larger and they can fight back from any threat much easier. Small owl species barely last 10 years in the wild but they can reach anything up to 20 if kept in good condition in captivity. Larger owls will live around 15+ in the wild whereas this can be almost doubled in Captivity.
How Do Living Conditions and Location Affect Life Span?
The location that an owl resides in affects their living conditions which ultimately affects their life span. The same species of owl’s life span can vary due to their location and a great example of this would be the Barn owl. English Barn owls can live very long lives, sometimes even up to the age of 20, whereas American Barn owls barely reach 15 years. Dutch Barn owls are not too far behind the English, averaging around 15-18 years, but as you can see, the same species of owl’s life span will vary due to their living conditions within these countries. You must consider the factors such as abundance of prey, weather conditions and number of predators.
Climate can be a main factor when it comes to life span as owls are not waterproof, therefore any wet climate areas will lead to less chance for the owl to hunt which can lead to dehydration and starvation. Autumn and Winter months are harder for owls to hunt, find prey, and find appropriate nesting sites to protect them from the elements.
Heavily human populated areas will lead to more man-made threats becoming abundant and this can lead to owls being harmed by vehicles, bollards, sign posts, buildings etc. These man-made structures often destroy owl habitats and therefore they lose their nesting sites and can be run out of one location, with nowhere safe to turn to. Man-made areas also lead to higher rates of pesticides and poisons being planted to defer/kill rodents and these often end up in the bellies of our birds of prey, including our owls. Check out my other post ‘What is Killing Our Owls?‘ to see the reasons our owls are most at risk.
In conclusion, how long an owl lives relies on multiple factors but the best combination would be healthy larger owls, living in drier conditions away from human populations and man made structures with plenty of food available to them and a safe, well protected nest site. Otherwise an owl is likely to live longer if they are kept in captivity with the perfect care for their individual species, this isn’t always the best option for a wild animal though. Generally, 15 years in the wild and anything over 25 in captivity is a great life span for any owl species.