Are owls dangerous? Exploring the real truth

Some movies like Harry Potter have led people to imagine owls from another dimension. Owls were presented as letter carriers in the Harry Potter movies. Since the owl is a bird of prey, many of us may have the question, Are owls dangerous?

Although owls attack humans very rarely,  being birds of prey with their sharp toenails and sharp beaks,  they can easily tear human flesh, many people wonder whether owls are friendly or dangerous to humans. Many of us have pets like dogs and cats, and we fear that our pets may be attacked by owls.

However, if you want to gather knowledge about which species of owls can attack you or your pet, what to do if an owl attacks, what to do to avoid an owl attack, etc., please go through the content below.  Answers to all these questions have been discussed below.

Are owls dangerous to humans?

Although owls have sharp claws and sharp beaks, they are not dangerous to humans.

Owls’ diet consists of small animals, and they do not easily attack humans. Such cases of owls attacking humans are very rare.

Owls attack humans only when they mistake an object used by humans as their prey or when they think their habitat or baby may be damaged by humans.

A human is many times the size and weight of an owl, so no owl would want to attack a human easily unless they thought they were in danger of being harmed by that human.

In 2018, a man was found to be attacked by an owl while camping in the United States. He scratches and bites the person on the head, although the person is not seriously injured.

Also in 2015, in another incident in the United Kingdom,   a woman was attacked by an owl while walking in the park.

Are owls dangerous to small dogs?

Owls can lift up to 1.4 times their body weight, so a large owl can easily carry a small dog. Owls do not have dogs in their diet, so an owl attack on a dog is rare.

To keep away your pet from owls, do not let your pet move out during owl hunting, especially at night, when owls can attack your pet.

There are several reports of attacks on dogs by owls. For example, in 2013, a woman in Scottsdale, Arizona, was walking a small dog when it was attacked by an owl, which caused injury to the dog with scratches and bite marks on its face.

But in 2016, a man named Alberta, who lived in a city in Canada named Edmonton, had an owl attack his pet dog from his backyard.

The dog sustained an eye injury and had to have the eye surgically removed.

Are owls dangerous to cats?

A large species of owl can carry a maximum weight of 8 to 9 lb and a cat weighs 8 to 12 lb so a large owl can easily carry a cat.

Owls generally do not have mammals such as cats or dogs in their preferred diet, but owls may attack cats if they require food or are likely to be attacked by them.

Although cat attacks by owls are rare, they can still happen. So if there are owls in your area and you have a pet cat, keeping your pet cat indoors while hunting owls will reduce the chances of the owl attacking your pet.

Cat attacks by owls are rare, but there have been several reported cases, such as one in the United Kingdom where a woman’s cat was scratched and bitten by an owl in her backyard, which required surgery.

In 2020, a man in Canada reported that his cat was attacked by an owl when it was in the cage, leaving the owl with bite and scratch marks on its face.

When do owls get aggressive?

Most owls remain confined to their territory, covering large areas in the winter and shrinking in the summer, and they have much awareness of their territory.

Owls become more aggressive to see another species of owl entering their territory.

Owls start fighting for space.

A few species of owls are seen to mate for life, but most species of owls tend to choose their mates during the breeding season, so the fight between owls for mates goes on.

It makes Owls more aggressive when bringing up their babies to prevent their young from being attacked by other owls or animals. They become very aggressive while feeling hungry.

What to do if an owl attacks you?

Owls are not known to attack humans. Attacks on humans by owls are rare. However, owls can sometimes attack humans, mistaking them for prey.

Owls make a surprise attack without warning while flying overhead. Owls are usually more prone to head injuries than humans.

Owls are very aware of their territory and become more aggressive in protecting their babies, especially during the breeding season, when any animal that approaches their nest is at increased risk of being attacked by the owl.

Owls are attracted to many things used by humans and often attack them, mistaking them for prey. Especially head-caps, headphones, hair clips, hair bands, etc. are attacked as prey.

Since owls attack in a warning pattern, protect yourself with whatever you have close at hand in the event of an owl attack, such as umbrellas, bags, etc.

If an owl attacks, you should take shelter in a room rather than in any open space. If there are no houses nearby, it is wise to move away from the area as soon as possible.

We must take care to protect ourselves so that the owls do not get hurt. Because only we can save this beautiful bird of the ecosystem from extinction.

What To Do if a Bird of Prey Attacks Your Pet?

There are several cases of owls attacking pets. Immediately, if you see any of your pets being attacked by an owl, you should move towards the owl with loud noises.

The owl will leave your pet if it sees a large animal approaching it with a loud noise.

If you see that the owl is not leaving your pet, then you have to separate the owl from your pet by wrapping something like a cloth in your hand and trying to release it by hand.

Wrapping your hands in cloth will make them less likely to get hurt by the owl’s sharp claws and beak.

You also need to take care that the owl does not get hurt because owls are diverse birds in nature that we should respect.

Do owls eat human eyes?

There are various misconceptions among people about owls that have been passed on to each other through stories.

Many believe that owls eat people’s eyes, but this is completely false.

The information that owls sometimes attack people but eat people’s eyes is completely baseless.

Owls do not tear the prey apart with their beaks like other birds of prey; instead, they swallow the prey.

Humans are not on the owl’s diet; they only attack humans when owls think they can be harmed by humans.

Owls usually attack someone in flight, so their attacks are mostly on the animal’s head, leading to this speculation among humans.

What are owls afraid of?

Generally, the fear of predatory animals or birds is less than that of common animals.
Although owls are not as afraid of humans as the trees seen in the study, they dislike several things that often cause them to leave their territories.

Human Noise:

Although many species of owls can be found living near human habitats, owls do not like human noise at all.

Because too much noise can disturb their sleep and alert the prey, they avoid places with human noise.

Bright light:

Owls have large eyes, and these eyes are adapted to see in low light, which is why their eyes cannot tolerate much light.

So most species of owls come out in low light and take shelter in dark places during daylight hours.

Therefore, too much light in the owl’s habitat causes discomfort for their eyes, which is why they leave the place with more light.

loud sound:

Owls cannot tolerate loud noises, especially from vehicles and factories, which can create an uncomfortable environment for them.

They avoid places with loud noises because they disturb their sleep and can disturb their concentration to catch prey.

Predators:

Owls themselves and their eggs, babies, are prone to attack by other predators, so they prefer to nest in areas where predators are present.

Snakes, raccoons, hawks, eagles, etc. are likely to attack owls themselves and their eggs.

Most Dangerous Owls?

An owl is a wild bird of prey whose job it is to hunt and eat. Owls are birds of prey and are not harmful to humans or pets like dogs and cats.

Some larger species of owls are comparatively more aggressive. They become increasingly aggressive for their territories, their prey, and their babies. If an owl sees another owl in its territory, it will attack to save its territory.

Also, during the breeding season, owls become more aggressive during mate selection and to protect the baby.

Owls face food shortages during the winter compared to other seasons, causing owls from one area to migrate to another, resulting in owl-to-owl competition for prey.

Several species of owls are known to be more aggressive and are listed below:

• Blakiston’s fish owl
• Eurasian eagle owl
• Great-horned owl
• Snowy owl
• Northern Hawk Owl

Can pet owls be dangerous?

First, let’s say that petting an owl or keeping any body part of an owl inside the house without a permit is a punishable offense with a fine and jail as per the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.

Since owls are birds of prey, their hunting instincts will remain. Although they are not known to attack humans, Owls are likely to be injured by their sharp claws and beaks while feeding.

So, in a zoo or an animal hospital, an experienced and skilled person is kept to take care of the injured owl. Because when owls go to eat food, they become violent.

Can owls be dangerous to pets?

People keep many types of pets in their homes for their hobbies. Although some pet owls are not dangerous, owls can become dangerous for some pets.

Humans keep dogs and cats as pets, mainly among mammals. An owl attack on a dog or cat is very rare.

But owls are dangerous for mammals and pet birds like mice, hamsters, rabbits, and guinea pigs because owls have all these animals on their favorite food list.

Most owls hunt at dusk and dawn, so keep your pets in their habitat during these times. Also, those who raise chickens and ducks should keep their chickens and ducklings in the nest when hunting owls.

Are great horned owls dangerous?

Great-horned owl is one of the larger species of owls, existing almost everywhere in forests, deserts, and urban and rural areas of North America, southern Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Eurasia.

Owls of this species are the most aggressive and are more likely to attack humans. They usually hunt at night and attack other species of owl when given the opportunity.

These species of owls are also known as “tigers in the night” because of their aggressive nature and the highest number of human attacks by them. Like bald eagles, their legs are strong enough to pin down prey.

Are barred owls dangerous?

Barred owls are in the category of medium-sized owl species living in forests, woodlands, parks, and urban areas throughout the United States, southern Canada, and Mexico.

This species of owl does not easily attack humans. They show more aggressiveness while catching prey. Also, they are found to be more aware of their habitat, so if other owls break into their territory, they may attack them to save their territory.

There is no record of any human being seriously injured by attacking this species of owl. but they may occasionally attack humans to protect their nests and babies. So it is better not to go near the nest of this species of owl.

Are snowy owls dangerous?

A large species of white owl is a snowy owl. This species of owl is found in the Arctic and subarctic regions of North America, Alaska, Canada, Eurasia, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and Japan.

These species of owls are noted as migratory, especially during very cold periods when food is scanty. They move to other places, due to which they come into conflict with other owls.

They are very aggressive in defending their territory and do not hesitate to attack ferocious wolves, let alone humans. They appear to be most aggressive during the breeding season.

Are screech owls dangerous?

The screech owl is considered a small species of owl. There are two types of screech owls: the eastern screech owl and the western screech owl.

Found in forests, woodlands, parks, and rural and urban environments in the US, southern Canada, and Mexico.

The possibility of any human being attacked by this species of owl is very low. Due to the very small size of these owls, they do not attack large animals easily because it is likely to endanger their lives.

They become more aggressive in winter when prey is relatively less available than in other seasons. During the breeding season, they also attack other animals, including owls, to save their babies.

Are baby owls dangerous?

A baby owl is not harmful to any animal, including humans, because they only eat food hunted by their parents.

Rather, baby owls are at increased risk of being attacked by other animals. Owl babies are especially attacked by snakes, wildcats, foxes, raccoons, hawks, eagles, etc.

That is why big owls always come to their nests to guard their babies. Baby owls spend most of their time sleeping, only waking up for food when they are hungry.

Owlets cannot fight other animals because their heads are heavier than their bodies, which is why they keep their heads down when they sleep, which is completely different from a large owl.                                            

Are owls dangerous birds?

Owls are nocturnal birds of prey. They have in their diet a variety of small animals, including several species of small birds such as sparrows, songbirds, pigeons, doves, finches, woodpeckers, ducks, geese, pheasants, quails, grouse, etc.

Not all species of owls feed on the same birds, but bird preferences vary depending on the region where the owl lives and what species are available in that region.

Owls are dangerous for some small species of birds, but not for all species.

But if the owls think that a big bird is coming to harm their babies, then they can attack that big bird with their lives.

FAQs

Q. Are owls dangerous pets?

Ans: Owls are birds of prey, so they sometimes become aggressive. Petting owls is a legal offense.

Q. Are owls aggressive towards humans?

Ans: Owls are not aggressive towards humans unless they feel harmed by them.

Q. Are owls safe to be around?

Ans: Owls are perfectly safe for humans to live around but can be harmful to pets like mice, guinea pigs, rabbits, etc.

Q. Are owls friendly to humans?

Ans: In movies like Harry Potter, we see owls behaving in a friendly manner, but in reality, owls are not friendly.

Q. Are owls dangerous to eat?

Ans: Owls help maintain the balance of the environment. Owls are not in the human diet.

Conclusion

In answer to the question Are owls dangerous? As mentioned above, it can be said that owls are not at all dangerous for humans, but since they have small mammals in their diet, owls are not at all beneficial for pets like mice, hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs, etc

Because owls will attack these pets at any time if they get the chance. However, for large mammals like dogs and cats, owls are not dangerous at all unless they are likely to harm the owls; then, owls do not attack them easily.

Some species of owls are now on the endangered list, so we have to take responsibility to save these beautiful birds.