Barred Owls

Experts at hunting blind: BARRED OWLS

by Abby Logan, public relations specialist at the Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams

You are more likely to hear a barred owl’s baritone hooting than see the

call’s source–which is fascinating, given that the barred owl will also be more likely to hear than see you!

Barred owls are the largest and most common owl found in low woodlands and swamps. They thrive year-round throughout the mid-to-eastern United States. Although they themselves are top predators, barred owls are wary of great horned owls. If a great horned owl moves into an area, barred owls will quickly move out.

For the most part, though, barred owls stay in one territory for their entire lives; they do not migrate. When they are ready to mate (at about 2 years old) barred owls will find a partner and stick to each other for life. A pair will raise one brood of 2-3 eggs each spring, sharing the duties of nesting and feeding. They can live as long as 30 years in captivity and about 10 in the wild. Like most owl species, barred owls hunt at night. They prefer to sit on an elevated perch, honing in on prey from above. They will also linger around lakes, rivers, and streams in pursuit of fish, crayfish, frogs, and snakes. They strike quickly, precisely, and at short range, often closing their eyes just before the kill.

But what makes barred owls such precise hunters–even at night, in dense forests?

Like most owl species, barred owls have asymmetrical ears: the left is slightly higher than the right. The lopsided openings enable them to know at what height a sound is coming from, as well as the direction. Their brains gather the information and instantly create a mental image of the environment they are in. Then, barred owls can pinpoint the location of their prey.

But that is not all! A barred owl’s beak is built to take full advantage of sound reception. The beak is pointed downward, almost flattened against the owl’s face. That increases the surface area over which soundwaves can be collected and redirected to the ears.

As Candace Andrews, a contributor to Good Nature Travel Blog, stated, “It seems flying blind isn’t a problem when the rest of your face was meant to listen.” Indeed.