Nestled in a Riverside backyard, a pair of screech owls have been raising their family under the watchful eye of Chris Jacobson.
What started as a simple birdhouse has grown into an amateur wildlife project that’s captured rare, intimate footage — and captured the hearts of thousands online.
“I’d never seen an owl in my life and suddenly they’re in my backyard,” Jacobson said.
The retired Windsor resident first spotted a screech owl in his tree six years ago.
Hoping to offer the elusive bird a proper home, he built an owl house and set it in the branches.
But once the mother owl and her owlet moved in, Jacobson found himself wondering: What exactly were they doing in there?
The next year, he installed his first camera inside the house.
“It’s got to be kind of recessed because the owlets get pretty rambunctious inside the house,” he explained.
Today, that one camera has grown into six: Two inside the nest and four more positioned around the yard.
Through them, Jacobson has watched with fascination as the same owls — he believes — return year after year to raise a new batch of babies.
The same loyal pair, season after season
Jacobson’s backyard cameras have recorded 12 owlets hatching over the past five years.
“And it’s easy for us to tell because this type of Screech owl — there’s two different color variations,” he said.
“Most of them are grey, but we’re lucky enough that the dad here is red, so we can tell who’s who. It’s been the same pair coming back. And they do mate for life.”
His cameras have captured intimate moments few get to witness from the early days of the chicks peeping inside their shells, to the excitement of “fledging day,” when the young owls leave the safety of their nest.
“Fledging day, when the owlets are ready to leave, is always awesome because it’s teamwork,” Jacobson said.
“The mom tries to coach them out, and finally one will leave, and then it’s usually two hours or a full day before the others venture out.”
Even after they leave the nest, the parents stay close by for the summer, keeping an eye on their young as they adjust to life outside their cozy wooden home.
“There’s a lot of dangers once they’re out of that house,” Jacobson said.
“But it’s teamwork. They’ll come down and kind of talk to each other and say, ‘It’s time to come out.‘”
A welcome escape from heavy headlines
Jacobson’s owl footage became a surprise online hit during the pandemic, as people craved a distraction from heavy news cycles.
“It took the mind off things when they see the movies,” he said.
“It’s like nothing but bad news and I’m posting these videos, and they seem to like that.”
Even today, he said viewers are still captivated by the rare, up-close glimpses of wildlife.
“They seem to appreciate it,” Jacobson said.
“They’ve never seen this type of wildlife before up close.”
He monitors the cameras regularly on his phone and has even picked up amateur photography to snap still images of the owls.
Over time, his passion project has also become an educational tool.
Jacobson has given presentations for local groups and at his granddaughters’ school, helping others learn about these mysterious birds.
“I caveat my presentations with, I’m not an expert and I’m not a photographer,” he said.
“But I’ve just been lucky enough to get all this information and share it with people.”
A rewarding retirement project
For Jacobson, the owl project has added new meaning to his retirement and created lasting memories for his family.
“We’ve got two granddaughters,” he said.
“They love to come over and see what’s going on. They can share what’s happening with their friends. It’s very satisfying.”
And for viewers tuning in from across the internet, his backyard owl cam continues to offer a rare escape into the wild.
“They see this type of action up close,” Jacobson said.
“They’re really drawn to it.”
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