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| Pictures Courtesy of Carolina Kids' Conservancy |
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Barred Owl
Scientific Name: Strix varia
Family Name: Strigidae
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| Pictures Courtesy of Carolina Kids' Conservancy |
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A Chunky owl with dark eyes, dark barring on upper breast, dark streaking below. Common in dense coniferous or mixed woods of river bottoms and swamps; also in upland woods. Chiefly nocturnal; daytime roost well hidden. Easily flushed; does not generally tolerate close approach. Distinctive call is a rhythmic series of loud hoots: who-cooks-for-you, who-cooks-for-you-all; also a drawn-out hoo-ah, sometimes preceded by an ascending agitated barking. Much more likely than other owls to be heard in daytime. Northwestern portion of range is expanding rapidly; now overlaps similar Spotted Owl. May be very rare breeder on southeastern coast of Alaska. [National Geographic Society, Field Guide to the Birds of North America Second Edition, National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C., 1987]
This large light-colored uncommon owl is known by its heart-shaped face, small dark eyes, and long legs. All other owls except the Snowy are heavily marked below. It is strictly nocturnal; hunts rats and mice in farmyards, marshes, and fields. It has a peculiar habit of lowering its head and moving it back and forth. It nest in barns, abandoned buildings, and tree cavities. Does not hoot, but has a soft ascending wheezy cry. At the nest it gives a toneless hiss. [Robbins, Chandler S.; Bruun, Bertel and Zim, Herbert S., A Guide to Field Identification Birds of North America, Golden Press, New York, 1983]
Length to 24 inches, wingspread to 50 inches, tail to 10 inches, bill to 1 1/2 inches. Weight to 2 pounds. Female averages heavier than male. A large gray "earless" owl, with bars appearing crosswise on breast and streaked lengthwise on belly. Eyes large and brown. Feathers loose and fluffy. Three subspecies recognized, Northern, Florida, and Texas. The Northern breeds from northern Saskatchewan to Newfoundland and south to Arkansas and Georgia. Found in fossil form in Pleistocene of Florida. Nests usually in dense woodlands or wooded swamps in tall timber. Nest in hollow tree or in rebuilt nest of crow or hawk. Eggs two to four, white, somewhat glossy and slightly rough, 2 by 1 3/4 inches; laid in late February. Incubation to 28 days, probably chiefly by female. One annual brood. Young white and downy when hatched. Food chiefly mice and other rodents. Obvious preference for mice indicates its primary service to man, which is not always appreciated. A barred owl calling in vicinity of a summer camp has made a vacation memorable to many youngsters. [Fowler, H. Seymour, Fieldbook of Natural History, Second Edition, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1975]