Barred
Owl
(Strix varia)
| Barred
Owl Information Length: 17 - 24" Habitat: Wooded areas - from swampy woods to drier, upland forests. Esp. woods near streams, lakes, or river valleys. Prefers open |
 Barred Owl |
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| woodlands or wooded areas near | Photo © Mike Danzenbaker | ||
| open country for hunting. | Click to enlarge | ||
| Diet:
Small mammals, including mice (staple), shrews, voles, squirrels, chipmunks, hares, rabbits; birds, reptiles, amphibians, crayfish, insects |
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 Identification
tipsfor the Barred Owl |
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| RANGE MAPS | |||
| (Click map to enlarge) | |||
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| Breeding Map | Winter Map (CBC) | ||
| NESTING AND BREEDING | |||
| Territory | |||
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It
is believed that the average size of the Barred Owl's territory
is about one square mile. The territory is defended throughout the
year, not only during the breeding season. When food is scarce on
its territory, the male may leave the area for the winter and return
the following spring. |
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| Nest | |||
| The Barred Owl most commonly nests in an unlined, natural cavity in a tree or in a hollow in the top of a tree stub. The nest is located from 20 to 80 feet above the ground. These owls may also use the unoccupied nest of a hawk, crow, or squirrel. | |||
| Incubation and Fledging | |||
| The
Barred Owl typically lays 2 or 3 dull white eggs. Most reports indicate
that the female incubates the eggs, with some possible participation
by the male. The incubation period is from 28 to 33 days. About four or five weeks after hatching, the young owls climb out of the nest and perch on nearby branches. It can be up to six more weeks before they are able to fly. |
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| BEHAVIOR AND HABITS | |||
| The
Barred Owl is mostly nocturnal but it is not unusual to see or hear
it during the daytime hours, especially in the late afternoon or on
cloudy days. This owl hunts mainly from a perch. Like most owls, it swallows its prey whole and then returns to a more sheltered location. The indigestible materials - bones, fur, and other parts - form into pellets that the owl regurgitates each day. An owl's feeding perches can often be located by the pellets found on the ground below. When roosting during the day, the Barred Owl may be mobbed by crows, jays, chickadees, or other birds. Mobbing is thought to be either a means of driving the predator away, a way of diverting it from nesting areas, or a system for alerting other birds to the owl's presence. |
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