Barred Owl

LC - Least Concern

N5 - Secure

SNR - Unranked

not listed

Barred Owl is a common, medium-sized, typical owl that is easily identified by its call. It is not migratory. If suitable prey is present it is a year-round resident. In the wild they live about 10 years. In captivity they have been known to live up to 23 years.

Adults are 17″ to 24″ long, weigh 17 oz. to 37 oz., and have a 38″ to 50″ wingspan. Females are larger than males.

The head is round. There are no ear tufts. The facial disk is whitish-brown with a prominent, dark brown outer ring and 4 or 5 fainter, narrower, vaguely-defined, brown rings around each eye. The beak is yellow and is mostly covered by feathers. The eyes are dark brown.

Feathers on the wings, back, and back of head are dark grayish-brown with buffy-white subterminal bars and edges. The tail is long and dark brown with 6 or 7 well-defined, pale brown bars. Feathers on the neck, chest, and belly are buffy-white with dark brown streaking. The neck and upper chest are horizontally streaked, the lower chest and belly are vertically streaked. There is a sharp break where the horizontal streaking meets the vertical streaking. Male and female plumage is identical.

17″ to 24″ in length

42″ to 48″ wingspan

An eight hoot call that sounds like “Who cooks for you, who cooks for you-all.”

This is the only owl in Minnesota with dark brown eyes. All other owls in the state have yellow eyes.

Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa) is a much larger bird, up to 33″ long. The eyes are yellow. The rings of the facial disk are more well-defined. The “chin” has a solid black patch. The neck and upper chest do not have horizontal barring.

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) has prominent, tall ear tufts and yellow eyes.

Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula) has yellow eyes. The neck, chest, and belly have fine, horizontal barring.

Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) has small ear tufts and yellow eyes. The neck and upper chest do not have horizontal barring.

Mature deciduous and mixed forests near water source; wooded swamps.

The Barred Owl is monogamous and mates for life. It nests in a cavity of an old deciduous tree, often one created by a Pileated Woodpecker, or in an abandoned nest of a squirrel, Red-shouldered Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, or American Crow. Breeding season is from March to August. The female lays usually 2 or 3, but as few as 1 or as many as 5 white, spotless, almost perfectly round eggs. The eggs hatch in 28 to 33 days. The young leave the nest in 35 to 40 days but remain dependent on their parents for food up to 4 more months.

Mostly small mammals, including mice, voles, shrews, chipmunks, squirrels, and rabbits; also amphibians, reptiles, smaller birds, fish, crayfish, and invertebrates.

Uncommon year-round resident

The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map

Lucky to have this seated on my Deck and was there in my backyard for almost whole evening.

Captive bird - Wildlife Science Center

Northern Barred Owl (Strix varia varia)

Share your video of this bird.

Location: Lake Shore

This barred owl hunted from the snag. Flew down, grabbed a mouse, flew back to the perch and ate it.

Location: Carver, MN

Another sighting of Barred Owl today along with “Pileated Woodpecker”. This could be a good pic as Barred Owl was staring at Woodpecker while it breaks the stem of the wood.

Location: Carver, MN

Lucky to have this seated on my Deck and was there in my backyard for almost whole evening.

Location: Maple Lake, by Lake Maria State Park

Lives in the State Park woods. Heard regularly; seen frequently. He or she seems to be curious.  

DBarnes
2/18/2021

Location: White Bear, Lake MN

Location: Forest Lake

Captive bird - Wildlife Science Center

Location: Westwood Hills Nature Center

Location: Burnsville, MN

Have been hearing owl for years in our backyard. Hoping it nests!

Location: Prior Lake, MN

Has been in Giant willow tree three nights in a row.  100 yards from lake very rodent populated area, squirrels and rabbits and now we don’t have many stray cats around

Am going to try and get some photos tonight.

Location: Near Mankato, MN on Lake Washington (Bakers Bay)

We heard an owl sitting somewhere very close in a tree while we were having a bon fire tonight. We searched owl calls and the Barred Owl matched. We heard it in the distance as it flew to different locations as well. Very cool.

Location: 7 miles South of Grand Rapids MN

nesting in an Oak tree near our house

Last year an owlet fell from the nest on a hot summer day…
we didn't know what it was…created a shelter for it to be out of the
sun and brought it some water…didn’t touch it…  Mother owl tried to help it…
but it didn’t make it…

Hope that doesn’t happen again…but good to know the owls are still around…

Location: Fort Snelling State Park

Came across some juvenile barred owls just across the road from the fishing pier on Snelling Lake. A couple of them seemed to be trying to catch bugs or something in the dirt.

Location: Edenbrook Conservation Area

Location: Edenbrook Conservation Area

Location: Edenbrook Conservation Area

Location: This was taken on our lake home property on Nisswa Lake, Nisswa, MN, May 2006

Norm took this photo of a beautiful owl looking down at us. We are not sure of what owl it is.