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Molting Madness (thelemmy.club)

From Jen Marie

Here is one of my favorite molting screech owls from years past. Did you know that Eastern Screech Owls typically experience a "catastrophic molt" on their heads, meaning they molt most or all of their head feathers at once? This can make them look a bit ragged or even bald until the new feathers grow in, but it's a totally normal process and means the bird is healthy.

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[-] quediuspayu@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 3 weeks ago

This is the kind of thing I would never have thought of and then wonder why only the spiders are using the house.

[-] anon6789@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

I used to think these animal houses were pretty simple and didn't think they'd be so particular about homes when they're living outdoors, but I've learned a lot over the last few years.

That little cute stick for a perch on a bird house is typically a really bad idea for a lot of reasons.

The size of the access hole is critical. Too small and your animal of choice can't get in, too large and more aggressive birds or predators can get in.

A bat house needs the roof to be sealed tight to hold in heat while some birds need vents to keep the box from getting too hot. Especially as climate changes, houses that have worked in the past can now bring unpleasant surprises.

For Screech Owl boxes, they get a bit of wood shavings (not sawdust) added, since owls don't really do much nest construction/upkeep themselves. It helps keeps the eggs from rolling so momma can rotate them properly and not have them smacking each other or the walls.

this post was submitted on 15 Apr 2026
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