Strix varia
Fero Bednar/Wildlife and Nature Photography: www.wnp.sk
Barred Owls are one of
our more common
owls. They are very large, up to 20 inches tall, with a
wingspan of almost four feet. This owl is grayish-brown
with crossbars on its chest and neck. Barred Owls don't have
ear-tufts like some other owls. They have dark eyes, and a
small, hooked bill. Barred Owls have strong,
sharp yellow talons
on their feet. This owl lives in woods,
usually with a lot of pine trees, and always near water.
Woods near swamps will almost always have a good population
of Barred Owls. Copyright, Paul
Hebert
Mark Moran
Paul Hebert Barred Owls, like most
owls, are not very active during the day. They stay in their
nests until night, when they come out to hunt. Barred Owls
have excellent night vision and hearing to locate
prey. Barred Owls eat a large
variety of prey, including: mice, voles, shrews, moles,
rats, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, opossums, bats, birds
(including smaller owls), frogs, salamanders, lizards,
snakes, crayfish, insects, slugs, and fish. Barred Owls will usually
find a favorite hunting perch. They stay at their perch and
swoop down on prey, grabbing it with their sharp talons.
Barred Owls swallow their prey whole. Their stomach acids
will digest the soft parts of their prey, and then they will
regurgitate (throw up) a pellet, with the bones and hair.
You can find a Barred Owl's favorite eating place by
observing all the pellets on the ground below. Barred Owls sometimes go
fishing. They will wade knee-deep in water and catch fish or
crayfish with their feet. Paul Hebert
