What does the Spectacled Owl eat?

The Spectacled Owl's diet shapes where and when you'll find it. Understanding what it eats helps you predict where to look.

Diet overview

Carnivore (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, large insects)

How it forages

A powerful nocturnal predator. It hunts from a perch, swooping down to capture prey. Its diet is highly varied, including small mammals (rodents, opossums, bats, skunks), birds (often taken from roosts), reptiles (snakes, lizards), amphibians, and large insects (beetles, cicadas). It is known to take prey almost as large as itself.

When it feeds

Strictly nocturnal, becoming active at dusk and hunting throughout the night. Roosts quietly during the day in dense foliage.

Explore the Spectacled Owl