Adopt a Bird Spotlight: Siesta (Mottled Owl)

Siesta's Story

Species: Mottled Owl
Hatched: 4/12/95

Siesta was hatched at the World Bird Sanctuary breeding facility in 1995. Her parents were Myrtle and Aztec. She had one sibling--Merlin. In 1999 Siesta went on breeding loan to another facility. After eight years on loan, she returned to WBS. Even though she is no longer used for breeding, she still gets "broody," and handlers give her a golf ball to "hatch" to satisfy her breeding instinct.

Siesta now resides in our Visitor Information Center building at the World Bird Sanctuary where she greets visitors with an excited little trilling call and a very solemn blink of her beautiful eyes. She is a very curious little owl and stares at visitors until they begin to wonder who is viewing whom!

Your adoption donation will help to defray the costs of housing, feeding and caring for this beautiful, curious little owl.

To adopt Siesta, simply click our donation button, make a donation of $75, and specify in your payment notes: Adopt-a-bird: SIESTA. Also include your name, phone number, and mailing address so that we can send you your adoption materials!

Every donation helps to feed, house, and provide medical care for the bird of your choice! Adopt-A-Bird Parents Receive:

• *A personal visit with the bird you adopt!!!!! Call 636-861-3225 to set up a time for
• your personal visit.
• * Certificate of Adoption
• * Color photo of the bird you've adopted
• * Sponsorship Card
• * One year's subscription to Mews News (our quarterly newsletter)
• * Life History and Natural History of the bird
• * 10% Discount off WBS merchandise
• * Invitation to Sponsors-only events like Camera Day
• * Discounts on WBS Special Events
• * WBS Decal

Natural History

mottled owl
Strix virgata

Description vertical streaks on chest and throat; white markings on back; brown eyes

Sex: similar but females are larger; males have a lower pitched hoot

Age: juveniles look the same as the adults

Length: 13-15”

Wingspan: 2.2-2.4’

Weight: 0.4-0.7 lbs

Habitat: variable; dry thorn forests to humid evergreen jungles

Status: common along most of it’s range

Range: Central and South America; northern Mexico and south into Brazil and Argentina

Behavior: lays 1-2 eggs between February and May; nests in tree cavities, on the top of a broken off palm tree, or occasionally in vacant nests of other birds; hunts mostly from a perch; is an opportunistic feeder; strictly nocturnal

Diet: large insects and beetles, small mammals and birds, snakes, lizards, salamanders, frogs

Vocalization: a series of deep hoots; “bru bru”, “bu, bubu”, “cowooawoo” or “keeooweeyo”; also a whistled screech

Adopt A Bird spotlights are written and photographed by Gay Schroer.