BARRED OWL
Strix varia
Notable Physical Characteristics - Size - Habitat - Nesting - Hunting
Behavior - Call - Additional Information - Resources
Notable Physical Characteristics
Brown plumage
Grayish facial disk
Heavily streaked or barred belly
Dark eyes
Stocky build (broad wings, short tail, rounded head)
Yellow bill
Medium/large sized owl
Wingspan: 42”
Length: 21”
Weight: 1.6 lb
(Females are marginally larger than males)
Range eastern half of North America and Southern Canada
Prefer moist climate, either near a swamp or stream or in deep woodlands
Pairs mate for life
Nest in tree cavities and abandoned nests, returning to the same territory in consecutive years
2-4 eggs on average
1 month incubation period
Chicks are fledged in 40 days
Parents care for the young for 4 months, longer than most other owl species
Diet consists mostly of meadow voles
Attracted to light where they can hunt for insects
Hunts from perches
Most prey is eaten on the spot
Nocturnal
Distinctive barking hoots: hoo hoo ho-ho, hoo hoo ho-hooooooooaw
Often heard in a series of 8 notes
As territory expands, ornithologists worry that the Barred Owl will have to compete with the endangered spotted owl
on the West Coast
Live up to 10 years in the wild
Great Horned Owl is the only natural enemy