Questions for Gus

Please see if your question has been asked already.  If it hasn't been asked, there's a link at the bottom where you can submit your questions about Gus...

Does Gus have a mate?  Babies?

Answer:  Gus used to have a mate named Isabel but we haven't seen her this year.  It's possible a predator killed her.  What animal would be able to kill an owl?  Gus has a new mate now but we haven't named her yet.  What do you think her name should be?  

Do feathers fall out when an owl flies?

Answer: Feathers are strongly attached to a bird's skin so they won't fall out when they fly.  But feathers get damaged and need to be molted.  This means that they fall out and are replaced by new feathers.

Does Gus make noise?  Does he sing songs?

Answer:  Yes!  When an owl makes noise with the mouth, we call it a vocalization.  There are many different types of Barred Owl vocalizations.  Baby owls even make their own special vocalization but the most common one can be found here.  

 Have a question that isn't asked above?  Click here to send Gus your question...