Do Owls Follow A Seasonal Breeding Pattern?

No, they do not. Some species such as the barn own and the short eared own tend to nest in midwinter if sufficient food is available but owls otherwise nest throughout the year.

With few exceptions, owls do not build a nest but use the nests of other birds or natural cavities in wood, rocks or buildings in which to lay their eggs and raise their young chicks.

Owls lay between one and 14 eggs per clutch; the size of the brood depends on the amount of food available. Species such as snowy owls produce more young when there are plenty of rodents about to eat and produce fewer when the rodent population declines. In this way, the population goes up and down each year and within a year. In years where there is a plentiful supply of food, a snowy owl may produce 10 to 14 eggs; in lean years, this can drop as low as one or two, or breeding may actually stop.