From the Owl Research Institute
Have you ever thought about the world of owl real estate before? Well did you know that owls don't build their own nests? With the exception of Snowy Owls and Short-eared Owls who might dig and scratch a small bowl on the ground, most North American owl species rely on the hard work of other animals to build their nests.
Woodpeckers and flickers create cavities in trees that species such as the Northern Saw-whet and Northern Pygmy Owl rely on.
Burrowing Owls take over underground tunnels dug out by ground squirrels, prairie dogs and badgers.
Great Gray and Great Horned Owls often take over abandoned stick nests created by magpies, ravens and hawks. Since Great Horned Owls are earlier nesters than Red-tailed Hawks, they are often able to steal their nests before the hawks settle into them.
