While we see many birds drinking water, owls are not easily seen drinking water. This question is similar to many other owl-related questions, such as Do owls drink water or What Do Owls Drink?
In the case of birds of prey like eagles and hawks, their body water requirements are met by the bodies of their prey. Owls get most of their water needs from their prey.
Let’s know if owls drink water. If yes, then what kind of water do they prefer to drink, what can owls drink other than water, or what do they like to drink?
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Do owls drink water?
Yes, owls drink water, but it is rarely seen. The fat found in the prey that owls eat is metabolized to produce water, which is why owls get their body water from their prey.
If owls think they are dehydrated, they drink water to replenish their body’s water needs. Owls are often seen drinking water and bathing to cool off due to the heat in mainly dry areas.
Many times, due to a lack of prey, owls become dehydrated, and they drink water to compensate for this deficiency.
The reason we rarely see owls drinking water is that owls are nocturnal, so they drink water at night, which is very rare to see, and owls get water from their prey.
What Do Owls Drink?
You already know that owls drink water to meet their bodies’ water needs. Now I will tell you what owls can drink other than water.
Owls collect water from a variety of water sources within their reach to quench their thirst. Owls take rainwater, dew, and even water from canal bills.
We often see owls drinking or bathing at night in the water we keep around our house for other birds to drink.
The Venus flytrap is a carnivorous plant. The fluid that accumulates in this plant attracts insects; owls have often been seen drinking the liquid.
How do owls drink water?
Owls meet their water needs by eating their prey, but when they drink from a container, pond, stream, etc., it looks like other birds are drinking.
- Owls first dip their beaks into the water in a body of water and then collect some water in their beaks.
- Then the owls tilt their heads back, causing the water in the owl’s beak to flow down their throats.
- After that, owls swallow water into their stomachs just as we swallow food or liquid.
Several species of owls can be seen drinking by licking water droplets from leaves and grass. The burrowing owl is notable among these species of owls.
What do baby owls drink?
You will never see baby birds, including owls, drinking water directly. Baby birds need water in their bodies to stay hydrated.
Some species of birds feed their babies by feeding them from their cheeks, while others collect food with their beaks and feed it to their young.
Other bird chicks, including owlets, obtain their body water requirements from the food they eat. For baby birds, drinking water directly or anything liquid can harm their bodies.
When do owls drink?
Owls meet their body water needs by eating their prey, but many times owls are starved for prey, so when their body water is depleted, they need to drink from outside.
During the summer, owls drink water from bodies of water to keep their bodies from becoming dehydrated.
Owls can often be seen bathing in the water during the summer. They take a bath to cool their bodies. We often see owls drinking water while bathing.
Where do owls drink water?
Owls can collect water from different places to meet their bodies’ water needs. Owls have been seen drinking water from streams, canals, and ponds.
However, owls have been observed drinking rainwater directly, and some owls have been observed collecting water from dewdrops on grass with their tongues.
Owls have been observed feeding on water that has accumulated in tree trunks or water that has been placed by us.
Some species of owls are seen gathering water from the snow. They meet their bodies’ water needs by directly consuming some amounts of snow.
Do owls drink blood?
We know bats as nocturnal animals. Many species of bats are mainly seen sucking the blood of several animals, like cows and goats.
Because owls are nocturnal animals, many people know very little about these birds, so many people have the idea that owls, like bats, suck the blood of animals.
No species of owl sucks the blood of any animal; they swallow whole a variety of small mammals and insects.
