There are many species of owls. Each has its own pattern for how long they live. The record-holder in North America is the Great Horned Owl. One lived 29 years! Even 15 years is very old for an owl.

How do biologist know the ages of owls and how long they can live?. One way is to get a very young owl and raise it in captivity. But a captive owl can be protected from diseases, predators, and most accidents. It can be carefully fed the right type and amount of food. A wild owl has a lot more dangers.

Another way is to capture a bird when it is young and tag it with its own number. Researchers can attach a small, light, band to a bird’s ankle. They then register the number. When the bird is caught again, or when it is found dead, they can look up the number on the tag.

These days, owls can even have an electronic tag placed just under the skin. A special reader can identify the animal. This technology is the same kind used to tag pets.

What do you think is the most dangerous time in the life of an owl? When it is just hatched? When it starts to fly? When it sets up its own territory? When it raises its own offspring? These are questions that population ecologists ask. Maybe you want to be a population ecologist.

Good question Christian and there are two answers. In captivity animals tend to live much longer than they do in the wild because they have abundant food and protection.

In the wild, animals experience food shortage and have to stay clear of predators so they tend to not live as long. Barn owls can live over 20 years in captivity but in the wild they are thought to only live around 10 years. So it turns out that elderly barn owls in the wild are around the same age as you!

The lifespans of owls depend on the species of owl. In general larger owls, live longer than smaller owls. (The same general trend applies to all birds.) The very small Elf Owl has a lifespan of around 3-5 years, while Great Horned Owls typically live around 10 years. In addition, birds tend to live much longer in captivity, with some parrots (not the question, I know) living up to 80 years.

A typical lifespan for a wild adult Barn Owl is 4 years although the British longevity record is 15 years. However, most Barn Owls die young.

Owls and other animals in captivity can live longer than animals in the wild, if they get good care and enough good food.

That depends on the owl - there are 200+ species of owls, and they have different lifespans. They can range from one year to over a decade.

There are many different types of owls. The Barn Owl only lives for about four years while the Great-Horned Owl can live for up to thirteen years. Some longer-lived owls can go upwards of 20 years, so the lifespans vary across different species of owls.