The Barred Owl

In today's post Marketing/Communications intern, Nicole Gostek, talks about the amazing Barred Owl!

Barred Owls are an incredible species with even more incredible vocal cords! It been said that their calls sometimes sound like they are saying, “Who cooks for you?” With big beautiful brown eyes these owls are captivating and some of the most beautiful of all the species of owls. Barred Owls are birds of prey and very territorial, so they are not to be messed with! The diet of Barred Owls ranges from small bugs and reptiles to different types of rodents. Barred Owls attack from their high up position in a tree and swoop down to snatch up their prey. Barred Owls like to hide in the dense foliage of the trees typically towards the top of the tree – so if you are going to try to look for one make sure to look up! Although Barred Owls can often be seen during the day they are nocturnal and hunt at night so they may be a little tricky to find!

When trying to identify Barred Owls there are a few things about their appearance that stands out:

•       Large body
•       Rounded head and tail
•       Mostly brown and white
•       No ear tufts
•       They are marked underneath with brown bar like stripes
•       Wing span of 4 feet

Barred Owls are most commonly found in large forests often near water and are native to North America. Below is a picture of a Barred Owl that was spotted at Fenner Nature Center not too long ago!

If you haven't found a Barred Owl yet don't worry! They are not near extinction and their population is actually growing! Stop by Fenner Nature Center and check out our trails… WHOO knows maybe you will spot a beautiful Barred Owl :)