Barred owl

Barred owl, (Strix varia), owl species common in eastern North America, the Pacific Northwest and California, southern Mexico, and temperate areas of Canada. It is one of the most common owls in North America, and it can be recognized by its distinctive call, or vocalization, which sounds somewhat like the English phrase “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?” The species is largely nonmigratory: most birds remain in their breeding habitat year-round. Fossils of barred owls dating to 11,000 years ago have been discovered in Ontario, Florida, and Tennessee. The species’ common name is derived from the bird’s barred brown-and-white feather pattern.

Natural history

Adult barred owls are large birds of prey, growing to 48 to 51 cm (18 to 20 inches) in body length with a wingspan of between 107 and 111 cm (42 and 44 inches). Females are slightly larger and bulkier than males, weighing as much as 800 grams (28.2 ounces), compared with roughly 630 grams (22.2 ounces) for males (see also sexual dimorphism). Barred owls have a large head with white facial disks that contain large brown eyes. Unlike other owl species, they do not have “ear” tufts. Like other species, they can rotate the head some 270 degrees.

Barred owls are nocturnal, but they will also hunt and call to other barred owls during the day, particularly on overcast days or during winter afternoons. They spot prey from their perches in trees and by taking low-flight treks through the woods. To capture food, they use their sharp talons and hooked beak. The birds prey on a wide variety of animals, including fish, small mammals (such as mice, rabbits, and voles), reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates as well as other birds (such as doves and pigeons). A barred owl will often swallow its prey whole. Later it will regurgitate indigestible parts, such as bones and fur, in the form of pellets. Crows and smaller birds will “mob” barred owls to drive them off. Barred owls in turn are prey for other birds, including larger owls (especially the great horned owl) and goshawks, and their eggs are taken by raccoons and weasels. They are also victims of automobile strikes and of traps used to target other animals.

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Barred owls typically nest in large hollows in trees, but they may use nests of other birds, such as hawks, and other animals, such as squirrels. Some barred owls make their nest on the ground. The species is monogamous, and pairs stay together for life. During courtship, which begins in late winter, males and females perch together, bob their heads, and raise their wings. After mating takes place, the female lays two to five eggs. She then incubates them while the male delivers food to her. The eggs hatch about 28 days later, and both parents care for the owlets for the next 4 weeks as the owlets grow, learn to branch (that is, hop from branch to branch), and later learn to fly, which occurs at about 10 weeks of age. Both sexes become sexually mature by about age two. Some barred owls may live as long as 18 years.

Conservation status

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) classifies the barred owl as a species of least concern, owing to its enormous geographic range and adaptability to a wide range of natural and human-dominated habitats. Late 20th-century and early 21st-century population studies have documented a nearly 90 percent increase in barred owl numbers since the middle of the 1970s. Their current breeding population has been estimated to be 3.5 million worldwide.