Owls

The spotted owl is a large, dark-eyed owl of the old growth forests of the Pacific Northwest and the wooded canyons of the desert Southwest. Because of the spotted owl’s reliance on old-growth woodland, environmentalists and the timber logging industry have clashed over preserving habitat for this gentle species. Spotted owls resemble barred owls in… Read more

Look for A rounded, earless outline, smoky gray-brown plumage that is heavily mottled and barred with white, broad brown streaks on a white belly, and dark eyes distinguish the barred owl. Its bill and feet are yellow. Its familiar eight-hoot call gives way to raucous and sometimes frightening caterwauling in breeding season. Listen for Who… Read more

Short-eared owls are medium-sized birds that hunt over grassy fields and marshes and are most likely to be seen at dusk, when field marks begin to fade. They breed across Alaska and northern Canada and south in the West to the center of the United States and in the East to New England and the… Read more

Long-eared owls are medium-sized birds that hunt over grassy fields and marshes and are most likely to be seen at dusk, when field marks begin to fade. They breed from central Canada south in the West to the United States–Mexico border and in the East through New England and irregularly south in the Appalachians to… Read more

Look For The snowy owl, a nearly all-white bird of the far north, is difficult to confuse with anything else. Young birds and adult females are streaked with black. Older adults males are pure white. Some winters when small mammals are scarce in the far north, snowy owls head south in search of food. Listen… Read more

Look for Huge, powerful, and widespread across North America, the great horned is the king of all of our owls. The great horned owl is named for its large size (up to 24 inches tall, with a wingspan of 44 inches) and its long feathered head tufts (horns). A deep rusty brown and buff overall… Read more

Look For The most common of our small owls, the eastern screech-owl comes in two color morphs: red and gray, with gray being the more common. Its small size, cryptic coloration, and inactivity during the day make this bird easy to overlook. Listen For Eastern screech-owls utter a series of high, wavering whinnies that descend… Read more

Barn owls are medium-sized birds that hunt over grassy fields and marshes and are most likely to be seen at dusk, when field marks begin to fade. They breed throughout much of the United States, but they are rare along the northern tier states and in the higher mountains. They winter throughout much of the… Read more