Owls have always been a creature of great mystery and a symbol of wisdom. Many people still get frightened at seeing owls and especially at nighttime. Whether it be in your backyard or a park -- it's their deep eyes that really spark that fear.
Recently, many of our 12 News viewers have been submitting pictures of owls. We wanted to understand why many owls have been appearing lately in certain parts of Arizona.
We spoke to Darren Julian, an urban wildlife specialist from the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
"Owls are found throughout Arizona year-round. In late fall/early winter, we do see a lot more birds of prey that migrate into and through the valley," Julian said in an email.
Julian also mentioned how the great horned owls are probably the most seen owls in certain parts of Arizona. These owls eat a variety of prey, including rabbit-sized animals.
Other owls in Arizona that you might spot include barn owls, burrowing owls and Mexican spotted owls, just to name a few.
We asked Julian what types of calls he gets from people who have concerns about owls.
"I get calls pretty regularly from people who are concerned that their pets are going to be eaten by owls, particularly in the spring when owls are nesting," said Julian.
Yes, sounds scary. Owls become pretty protective with their young, especially around the time the young are about to leave their nest.
"Cats would be most likely to be prey for a great horned owl," warns Julian. Cats tend to be great wanderers, especially at nighttime, when owls tend to hunt around the same time.
Julian gave us some tips to keep our small pets safe and sound from possibly becoming prey:
1. Keep your small pets indoors.
2. Keep a good eye on your pets while outdoors.
3. If you do leave your pets outdoors, make sure you leave them in an enclosed dog run so any other animal can't dig under or be able to over and catch them over the top.
Another fact that Julian pointed out is that great horned owls are opportunistic predators. If your pet is rabbit-sized, there's a higher chance to be taken by an owl. Granted, an owl does not necessarily need to take the animal away. It can kill its prey on the ground if it's too heavy to carry.
Julian also mentioned that people often think that coyotes are the ones to often snatch their animals from the backyard. It's true -- coyotes are the most common predator in the Phoenix area and are found throughout the Valley.
Coyotes can jump over a 6- to 8-foot fence. You can try to modify your fence as much as you want to keep coyotes out, but the lesson here is that, not even a 20-foot fence will keep flying predators out of our backyards.