Owls of Ohio - Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Owls of Ohio - Ohio Department of Natural Resources Owls of Ohio - Ohio Department of Natural Resources
O h i o S tat u s b a rre d o w lBarred owls are common to fairly common statewide, but their presence isdependent upon the availability of suitable habitat. While they once would havebeen very common throughout the Till Plains of western Ohio, they can nowbe hard to find in many counties in this region. The first Ohio Breeding BirdAtlas, conducted from 1982-87, documented them in nearly every Ohio county,although owls are few and far between in some counties. They have likely increasedsomewhat since that time, as Ohio forests continue to mature.Hab itat b a rre d o w lThis is a species of mature forests, with a particular affinity for poorly drainedswampy woods and forested ravines. They are especially likely to be found inwoodlands with plenty of mature American beech, Fagus grandifolia, as these treeshabitually form the hollowed out cavities that barred owls often use for nesting. Barredowls are tolerant of some forest fragmentation, but do best in larger, unbroken blocksof woodlands. Older forests provide better habitat, in part because there will be largertimber that is more likely to have suitable cavity nesting sites.Barred owl being scolded bya gray squirrel. Harassmentof owls by other birds andsmall animals is commonand their loud, scolding callscan often lead an observerto the owl.Hab its barre d o w lWhile primarily nocturnal, barred owls can often be heard calling during daylighthours, especially on overcast days. These are very vocal owls, and sometimes call forextended periods of time. They respond well to tapes of their calls, or even crudeimitations by people. Owls responding to tapes typically fly in quietly and observethe situation in silence for up to several minutes. If the owl was not observed as it flewin, one would not know it was close at hand. Eventually, it will begin to call, and thisoften stimulates its mate to join in. In many cases, the pair will start caterwaulingback and forth, filling the woods with a raucous cacophony of sounds.Barred owls have a light, graceful flight, and maneuver with ease through denseforest canopies. As they are loath to leave heavily wooded habitats, all of theirhunting is done in the forest. Typically, they will hunt from a perch, waiting forprey to appear. Like other owls, their vision and hearing are outstanding andallow them to locate prey even in pitch-black conditions. Peak activity tendsto be shortly after nightfall.Photo by: Jennifer Sauter
C O M M O N O W L S O F O H I O 19D i e t b a rre d o w lBarred owls probably consume small mammals like mice and volesprimarily, but they will capture a diversity of small prey. Some studieshave shown high percentages of amphibians in their diet, and this makessense given their affinity for wet wooded habitats. It is likely that manybarred owls in Ohio shift to a diet heavy in amphibians during warmmonths, but this is hard to document as pellets composed mostly ofamphibians rapidly disintegrate after being expelled. These owls alsotake small birds, reptiles, and even aquatic prey such as small fish. Theyhave been observed actively wading in shallow water attempting to seizefish or other aquatic animals.N e s ting barre d o w lMost barred owls use tree cavities as nest sites, often where brokenlimbs have created a recess within the tree. Occasionally, they will nestin abandoned stick nests built by American crows, red-tailed hawks, orother raptors. Barred owls typically lay their clutches of two or threeeggs in early to mid-March. The incubation period is about 30 days,and young hatch in April. The young birds leave the nest after four orfive weeks, but remain in the immediate vicinity. They are not capableof strong flight until three months or so of hatching, and it takes them sixmonths to fully molt into adult plumage.Vo c aliz ati o n s b a rre d o w lFew nighttime sounds are as loud and extravagant as a pair of barredowls in full song. Once they get going, a pair might keep up their repertoireof hoots, screams, chuckles and other odd sounds for half an hour or more.More than one camper has had their sleep disrupted by these noisy beasts.When two pairs engage in territorial squabbles, the sounds produced areenough to scare an uninitiated person out of the woods.The typical call is often described by the mnemonic Who Cooks For You,Who Cooks For You All. This song is unmistakable and often heard, and isused to announce territiories. A pair will often engage in duets with thisBarred owl on nest.This site is typical;a hollow formedwithin an older tree.Juvenile barred owl. Thisbird is probably fourto five weeks old andstill has many downyfledgling feathers. Youngowls leave the nest at thisstage and clamber aboutnearby branches untilthey can fly.Photos by: ODNR Division of Wildlife / Tim Daniel
- Page 1 and 2: OWLS OF OHIO c d g u i d e b o o kD
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- Page 5 and 6: with both eyes simultaneously. Anot
- Page 7 and 8: M o d i fi ed Fe ath er s owl morph
- Page 9 and 10: Pelle t s an d W h ite wa s h findi
- Page 11 and 12: Ab o u t this Bookle t and CD owls
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- Page 15 and 16: y people placing nest boxes in barn
- Page 17: BTRACKS7-12arred owlStrix varia (St
- Page 21 and 22: Eastern screech-owlMegascops asio (
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- Page 25 and 26: Great horned owlBubo virginianus (B
- Page 27 and 28: Normally solitary except during the
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- Page 31 and 32: O h i o S tat u s l o ng - e a re d
- Page 33 and 34: N e s ting long - e a re d o w lLon
- Page 35 and 36: Northern saw-whet owlAegolius acadi
- Page 37 and 38: likely. When one is found, a very c
- Page 39 and 40: Short-eared owlAsio flammeus (Ay-se
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- Page 49 and 50: Like the Northern hawk owl and grea
- Page 51 and 52: This is one of North America’s mo
- Page 53 and 54: This is the smallest owl in the wor
- Page 55 and 56: This small owl has a broad but spot
- Page 57 and 58: This species has become a symbol of
- Page 59 and 60: O T H E R N O R T H A M E R I C A N
- Page 61 and 62: Publication FundingFunding for this
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O h i o S tat u s b a rre d o w lBarred owls are common to fairly common statewide, but their presence isdependent upon the availability <strong>of</strong> suitable habitat. While they once would havebeen very common throughout the Till Plains <strong>of</strong> western <strong>Ohio</strong>, they can nowbe hard to find in many counties in this region. The first <strong>Ohio</strong> Breeding BirdAtlas, conducted from 1982-87, documented them in nearly every <strong>Ohio</strong> county,although owls are few and far between in some counties. They have likely increasedsomewhat since that time, as <strong>Ohio</strong> forests continue to mature.Hab itat b a rre d o w lThis is a species <strong>of</strong> mature forests, with a particular affinity for poorly drainedswampy woods and forested ravines. They are especially likely to be found inwoodlands with plenty <strong>of</strong> mature American beech, Fagus grandifolia, as these treeshabitually form the hollowed out cavities that barred owls <strong>of</strong>ten use for nesting. Barredowls are tolerant <strong>of</strong> some forest fragmentation, but do best in larger, unbroken blocks<strong>of</strong> woodlands. Older forests provide better habitat, in part because there will be largertimber that is more likely to have suitable cavity nesting sites.Barred owl being scolded bya gray squirrel. Harassment<strong>of</strong> owls by other birds andsmall animals is commonand their loud, scolding callscan <strong>of</strong>ten lead an observerto the owl.Hab its barre d o w lWhile primarily nocturnal, barred owls can <strong>of</strong>ten be heard calling during daylighthours, especially on overcast days. These are very vocal owls, and sometimes call forextended periods <strong>of</strong> time. They respond well to tapes <strong>of</strong> their calls, or even crudeimitations by people. <strong>Owls</strong> responding to tapes typically fly in quietly and observethe situation in silence for up to several minutes. If the owl was not observed as it flewin, one would not know it was close at hand. Eventually, it will begin to call, and this<strong>of</strong>ten stimulates its mate to join in. In many cases, the pair will start caterwaulingback and forth, filling the woods with a raucous cacophony <strong>of</strong> sounds.Barred owls have a light, graceful flight, and maneuver with ease through denseforest canopies. As they are loath to leave heavily wooded habitats, all <strong>of</strong> theirhunting is done in the forest. Typically, they will hunt from a perch, waiting forprey to appear. Like other owls, their vision and hearing are outstanding andallow them to locate prey even in pitch-black conditions. Peak activity tendsto be shortly after nightfall.Photo by: Jennifer Sauter
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