GENERAL INFORMATION

Owls are unique birds. Although they are classified as raptors, owls are very different from many other birds of prey in their anatomy, feather structure, and hunting techniques. They are noted for their large head and large eyes which are fixed in the skull, making it necessary for them to rotate their heads in order to change their view. Their hearing is very acute and in many species the ears, which are crescent-shaped slits beneath the facial feathers, are placed asymmetrically (unevenly) on the head in order to better pick up sound. Owls also have a distinctive facial disk which helps to direct sound towards the ears. The flight of an owl is almost noiseless due to tiny fringelike structures found along the outer edge of each feather. This allows an owl to fly silently toward its prey without detection.

DESCRIPTION

The Barred Owl is a large bird, light grayish brown in coloration with a rounded face and no "ear tufts". The name comes from the barring or banding of alternating colors over most of the bird's body. The beak is yellow or grayish white and the eyes are a dark brown. Barred owls range from 16 to 25 inches in length with a wingspan of 38 to 50 inches. Females are larger than the males.

HABITS AND HABITATS

The Barred Owl is widely distributed in North America, ranging from southern Canada south throughout much of the Midwest and eastern United States and into the mountains of Mexico and Central America. They are found throughout North Carolina, primarily in swamps, river bottoms, and moist woodlands. They prey on a wide variety of animals, including small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, other birds and sometimes even fish. Mice seem to be the preferred item in their diet. Like other owls, the barred owl has the unusual habit of coughing up pellets of undigested hair and bone from its prey. Owl pellets are often found beneath a favoured roosting tree, indicating where an owl spends it daytime hours resting after a night of hunting. Barred Owls may occasionally be seen flying during daylight hours, particularly in late afternoon or on a dull, cloudy day. Barred owls begin nesting sometimes as early as January or February. These owls prefer nesting in large tree cavities in evergreen forests but may also utilize an old hawk's nest. No nesting material is brought into the cavity and the 2 to 3 eggs are laid directly on the bare wood chips found in the hole. Incubation takes around 28 days. The young owls are blind at hatching but their eyes open in about a week when they first begin moving around in the nest. By three weeks, the young birds are starting to develop the spotted and barred pattern of the adults.

HISTORY

Barred Owls are adaptable birds and have learned to live near man in patches of woods, even near large cities. Like many other species of owls, they often hunt for rodents in the grassy and brushy areas along roadsides, resulting in collisions with speeding automobiles. The barred owl is a master of vocalizations. The call of this owl is often heard at night, resulting in many wondering what the sound actually is. The standard call is often translated as sounding much like "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?" The barred owl makes a host of other sounds too, including squirrel-like barking, monkey-like hoots and yells, and even blood curdling screams! No doubt the sounds made by barred owls have made some folks wonder whether or not their local woodland was haunted! Like other birds of prey, the Barred Owl is protected by state and federal laws. It is illegal to possess any species of raptor alive or dead without special permits, or to knowingly kill or injure one in any way.

MEET OUR BARRED OWL

The Nature Center has one barred owl which lives in our indoor Nocturnal Hall exhibit. In Nocturnal Hall, visitors can observe animals that are active at night during our day. Our barred owl is a permanently injured, non releaseable specimen. It came to the Nature Center in September of 1987 from the Carolina Raptor Center in Charlotte, NC after being found injured along the roadside near Greenville, NC. Its left wing was badly broken and later had to be amputated. We feed our barred owl pre-killed rats and mice.

INFORMATION LINKS

Raptor Center - St. Paul, MN

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©2002 WNC Nature Center