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Great Gray Owls at Jim’s Place

Mission Valley, Montana, USA

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Nest with North America's largest species of owl! This live camera in Montana's Mission Valley is mounted opposite a hollowed tree snag where a great gray owl raises her chicks. It's believed the owl mom and her mate have nested here for the past three years.

This densely forested area borders a mostly open field, ideal for Great Gray Owls to hunt their prey. The forest has small creeks running through it and is a major wildlife corridor for the Mission Mountains with deer, birds, and even Grizzly bears traveling through this area.

This snag nest, though much smaller than the Western Montana Nest Cam, is not atypical for Great Grays. She fits like a glove.

We've named this location "Jim's Place" as tribute to the live cam host who unexpectedly passed away during the camera's install.

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All Day and All Night

Established
April 2018

Mission Valley
Montana, USA

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For more than 25 years, the Owl Research Institute (ORI) has been dedicated to scientific research of owls — their ecology, natural history, and habitat relationships.

Because owls are chronically under-researched and poorly understood, we strive to provide high-quality, long-term studies of owls, and use our findings to promote conservation.

The Owl Research Institute is a non-profit, 501(c)3, tax-exempt organization, and primarily funded by grants from foundations, corporations, and individuals.

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Where is the owl's nest?
Great Gray Owls often lay their eggs in a broken tree top called a "snag." Other common locations for egg laying include man-made structures or the abandon nests of other large birds such as ravens or raptors.

Great Grays will almost always choose their nest site in an area adjacent to a clearing in a forest or another open area, such as a meadow or field.

How many eggs do Great Grays lay?
The clutch usually consists of 2 to 5 eggs. Each egg is about 2 inches in length and will be incubated anywhere from 28 to 36 days before hatching.

When and how do Great Grays hunt?
Like most owls, Great Grays are most active between dusk to dawn. Their excellent hearing is their most resourceful tool used in hunting. Great Grays have asymmetrical ear canals which allows them to triangulate the location of their prey. The owl will silently glide above the forest floor, listening for rodents such as mice and voles below, and then swoop down and snatch the rodent with their sharp talons.

Do Great Gray Owls migrate?
Great Grays do move around to different hunting areas throughout the year; however, their movement isn't viewed as migrational, but instead is viewed as "nomadic." They change locations due to their supply of food, not due to the seasons like most other birds. If a habitat is able to sustain them with a constant food supply, then Great Grays will stay in that area. If their hunting has depleted the supply of rodents, then the owl will move on to find a new hunting area.

Are Great Gray Owls endangered?
In some areas, mainly near human populations, Great Grays are endangered. Loss of habitat due to logging is one of the greatest threats the species. When forested areas are clear cut, the availability of snags for nesting is greatly diminished.

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A loyal and protective dog helped alert parents to an abusive baby sitter in South Carolina.

According to WCSC, which originally reported the story, the dog began exhibiting aggressive behavior whenever the baby sitter, 22-year-old Alexis Khan, would approach the couple's then 7-month-old son, Finn.

By this point, the baby sitter had already been employed by the family for five months. The parents, fearing the worst but not wishing to act presumptuously, hid a camera phone between the couch cushions.

Their worst fears were quickly confirmed. Finn's father, Benjamin Jordan, recounted the details to WCSC:

"It started with cussing," Jordan said. "Then you hear slap noises and his crying changes from a distress cry to a pain cry. I just wanted to reach through the audio tape, go back in time and just grab him up."

"To know that five months I had handed my child to a monster, not knowing what was going on in my house for that day," said Jordan.

Khan was arrested several weeks later. Confronted with the audio made by the parents, she reportedly confessed. She was later sentenced to one to three years in prison. She will also have to register as a child abuser and will not be allowed to work with children in the future.

The Jordans told WSCS that their child is doing fine and shows no lingering effects of the abuse. They also gave thanks to their dog.

"Had our dog not alerted us to the trouble, had my wife's instincts not said we need to make something happen, it could have been Finn that was killed by the baby sitter. You never know," he said.

There have been cases where another heroic dog thwarted a kidnapping at an Indianapolis home. In 2011, a dog in the Philippines jumped in front of an out-of-control motorcycle, keeping the bike from hitting nearby children and losing its snout in the process.

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