Is it true that red tail hawks decapitate barn owls for territorial reasons?
Answer Yvonne, Thanks for your question about red-tailed hawks. Barn owls are competitors with red-tailed hawks for the same prey, particularly meadow voles. Red-tailed hawks will also take a wide variety of larger prey as well, including ducks, rabbits, skunks, muskrats, crows, and screech owls. So a barn owl is also a potential prey, at least during daylight hours. At night, however, the owl may actually prey on young hawks (rarely). Barn owls are also prey of great horned owls. Anyway, red-tails will kill barn owls when given a chance, but its usually for food, as well as territory. When they make a kill, they typically go for the head first. On a barn owl, that may be the only part the hawk has a chance to eat, unless it is left undisturbed to pick at the rest of the body. In killing the owl, the hawk reduces competition for prey. Its a competitive world out there!
