I’d always thought Barred Owls take prey they can swallow whole, so when we saw one in our driveway last winter, huddled over a rabbit, we thought it was just desperate because a hard coating over the snow was preventing it from getting to its usual prey. However, a friend e-mailed photos taken a few days ago of a Barred Owl eating a rabbit in their yard. He said he’d heard that the males of this species often use rabbits’ heads as courtship gifts. Has anyone else heard this?
Maeve Kim, Jericho Center