Meet the LEOW Chicks!

It looks like we have four new chicks on Missoula, Montana’s Long Eared Owl nest! They were first discovered May 28 at 6:10am.

An average nest yields 4-5 chicks. The female will continue to incubate the eggs and protect her young while the male hunts for prey, mostly small mammals and the occasional bird.

The young will remain in the nest for about 3 weeks when they will hop to nearby branches and then take flight at about 4.5 weeks.

Did you know…? That baby owls, also called owlets or nestlings, hatch 22 to 40 days after the eggs are laid. Because eggs are laid on different days, owlets break free from their shells on different days. This is called asynchronous hatching. The first owlets to hatch can be one or two weeks older than the last ones to hatch. When young owlets hatch, they are covered with white, downy feathers and their eyes are closed. Several days after hatching, their feathers turn gray and their eyes open.

Get in on the action while they’re still with mom! Tune in to the LEOW Live Cam here!