By Tammy Kilby
For the Times
BLANCHARDVILLE — Yellowstone Lake State Park saw another successful nature program on Saturday evening, Oct. 12. Wisconsin DNR Naturalist Mark Sturnick taught attendees the importance of protecting nature, while they learned more about the natural characteristics of the Wisconsin owl population.
Several owl species exist around the world, about 200 species total. Of all the species, 11 of them call Wisconsin home. They include: Northern Hawk Owl, Short-Eared Owl, Long-Eared Owl, Northern Saw-Whet Owl, Barred Owl, Snowy Owl, Great Gray Owl, Boreal Owl, Eastern Screech Owl, Barn Owl, and the most popular and recognizable, the Great Horned Owl.
Sturnick displayed a taxidermy owl that most found to be interesting while attending the program. Guests to the park can still stop by to view the Great Horned Owl in the lobby of the Yellowstone Lake State Park Visitor’s Center & Park Office.
“Owls have excellent hearing,” Sturnick said. “Owls have the ability to hear a mouse 50 meters away, if not further. That is half a soccer field in total distance.”
While teaching more about Wisconsin’s owls, Sturnick focused his attention on the unique abilities of owls, placing their ability to hear and see prey as among the reasons for their successful hunts.
“Owls can hear at 200 hertz. Humans can hear a range of low frequency,” he said. “However, if it is too low, we lack the ability to hear it. Owls are special in that way. They specialize in the ability to hunt by sound and by sight.”
In comparison, the average adult human can listen and hear within the range of 15 to 17 hertz.
“Owls have two ears on the sides of their heads like we do. They have something special about their ears. They have one ear higher and one ear lower. If humans had that, we would look kinda goofy,” Sturnick said to giggles and laughs.
He also said an owl has the unique ability to see in complete darkness.
“If we had eyes in comparison to that of an owl, our eyes would be the size of tennis balls,” Sturnick said, holding up a pair of tennis balls in front of his eyes, engaging a few more giggles. “Owls have adapted their vision, and can see a small simple candle lit from a quarter-mile away.”
One of the highlights of the evening was the folklore that surrounded owls. Sturnick read from ‘Macbeth’, giving the audience a hint at a Shakesperian experience. Owls have been displayed as symbols of wisdom; known for their protection in some cultures, while omens of death in others. Owls are credited as bringers of prophecy, messengers, and psychopomps into the afterlife.
On display, in addition to the taxidermy owl, Sturnick shared real owl pellets that show the remains of the foods that owls eat. The bones and other debris that are passed through an owl are disposed of in the pellets which end up on the forest floor.
He fielded several questions from the audience, ranging from foods, nesting, size and weight of owls in general.
“Owls average the weight of a soda can,” he said. “The hollow bones make for a lightweight flight, while the feather pattern allows the owls to hunt without being heard.”
Perhaps the most unique attribute between owl species is the talons. Owls have four talons per foot — two are forward-facing, one is rear-facing, and the other has a flexible joint which allows them to move the fourth toe in both the forward and backward direction, similar to a human thumb. This talent allows owls to specialize between the hunter’s grasp while grabbing prey in flight, or have the ability to perch itself onto a tree branch.
Humans play a big role in maintaining the Wisconsin owl population. When clearing property, remember that owls roost in hollow, dead trees. Humans tend to dispose of dead trees without realizing they can be home to a variety of wildlife species, including owls.
Also, upon driving in the country, oftentimes owls will eat roadkill alongside the road. As motorists approach, it is important to remember a simple rule of thumb — the larger the bird, the larger the space needed to completely take flight off the ground. This is the case with all large raptor birds.
Sturnick has a passion for conservation and has hosted multiple programs in 2024. Guests have learned about Wisconsin animal species of owls and bats.
Sturnick’s work continues to spark new interest in others while maintaining the conservative efforts of Yellowstone Lake State Park, and the Wisconsin DNR.
