Barred owls are mottled brown and white, and have dark brown eyes. They usually live in old forests, because there is a wide variety of prey and the trees are large enough for nesting. They also often live near water, be it a stream or a swamp.
Barred owls eat a variety of animals, like mice, rabbits, amphibians, reptiles and fish. Barred owls either dive for fish or wade in the shallows and catch them. They usually hunt at night. Sometimes, they store their food and eat it during the day.
These owls don’t migrate, and rarely even leave their territory. They are quite aggressive towards intruders. While their nests are vulnerable to hawks, raccoons, weasels, and other owls, adult barred owls are only threatened by Great Horned Owls.
Their call is famous for sounding like “Who cooks for you?” Make sure you listen for it on your next nature walk!
Guest author Libby Koger is a Drumlin Farm volunteer. Information from: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barred_Owl/id. Recording from the Macaulay Library, at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.