 One of the most common owls of the deep woods, the barred owl is often seen at dawn and dusk hunting for prey. With large brown eyes this genus (Strix) is set apart from other owls in North America. With the exception of the barn owl, all other species have yellow eyes.
The common name of this bird reflects the markings on the chest. Dark brown bars on a gray background are an easy identifying characteristic. The large eye discs are also marked with dark brown ‘bars’, and are outlined by dark brown rows of feathers. The call of the barred owl is easily recognized. The call is a series of eight accented hoots ending in “oo-aw”, often describes as sounding like, “Who cooks for you. . .Who cooks for you-all”. The barred owl will often respond to imitated calls, and may fly toward the imitator. Much more likely to be heard during daylight than other owls, the barred owl roosts during the day in dense coniferous or mixed forest, river bottoms and uplands. Typical of other owl species, barred owls rarely build their own nests. They will commonly occupy hollow tree cavities, old hawk nests, squirrel nests, and occasionally man-made owl boxes. If a barred owl does construct its own nest, it is often poorly constructed and flimsy. Any eggs laid in the nest may not be secured, and fall to the ground. In a well-constructed or borrowed nest, a clutch of 2-4 eggs will hatch after about a month. Eggs are laid over the course of a couple of days, and are hatched the same way. The owlets open their eyes at about a week old, and stay in the nest for 7-8 weeks before they fledge (leave the nest). After the young owls leave the nest, they typically roost on a tree branch, often reached by climbing, until flight skills improve.
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