Who knew Western Screech-Owls took baths?? My friend, Bea, recently witnessed bird behavior that is a surprise even to long-time birders. Here is how she describes it.

Swim, Perch or Bathe?

Of late, I’ve been an earlier riser than usual because I have a Western Screech-Owl in my backyard nesting box. Friday a.m. early, almost dawn, “Owlie” took a break from his nightly ritual of hunting elsewhere and sailed down from his nesting box to my birdbath all in one easy swoop. He sat on the edge with his short tail in the water and searched the yard looking in every direction, then down, flying to the nearby garden bed finding a moth to eat. He then flew back to the edge of the birdbath and just flopped forward into the center of the bath, climbed to the other side, turned around and took one more forward flop into the water, before returning to his nesting box as dawn was fast approaching. He had previously used the birdbath for perching, never bathing.

Fast forward to an early a.m. 2 days later. This time, he went the whole way, perching on the raised center of the birdbath, then immersing his tummy, fluffing feathers, fluttering wings, and getting thoroughly wet.

The three long-time, very good birders I have talked to about this all said they had not seen or heard of owls bathing. Assumedly they do take baths at night, so we would not normally see them, but how fun that Bea has been able to witness this behavior.

I am reminded that in the second year of a tough drought it might be harder on birds than we know. The very high heat of this past week may also contribute to this behavior. I think being sure there is water for birds to drink and bathe in is an excellent and important thing to do.

-Bea Pearson and Maureen Geiger
-Western Screech Owl, Image by Ray Rozema