Last Updated: December 2, 2009 by Paul Lehman
winter
summer
migration
year round
extralimital range 
A large, dark-eyed owl without ear tufts. Adult has brown back with white bars and spots, pale buffy underparts with well-defined vertical brown streaks, round head, dark eyes, and yellow bill. Sexes are similar. Spotted Owl of Western North America has white spots on brown underparts.
Length: 51 (cm) Wingspan: 107 (cm)
Voice:
Loud hoots, barks, hisses, whistles, and cackles. Common vocalization often rhythmically characterized as "who cooks for you, who cooks for you all."
Habitat:
Wooded swamps, mixed woodlands, large conifers.
Behavior:
Nocturnal. Roosts by day on sheltered tree branch, often mobbed by smaller birds. Nest is in abandoned bird nest or cavity. Hybridizes with Spotted Owl where ranges overlap. Also displaces Spotted Owl in competitive habitats.
Feeding:
Hunts from stationary perch. Eats a variety of small animals including rodents, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.
Field Notes
This species occasionally calls voluntarily during the day and will often respond to imitations or tapes of its calls during daylight hours. When pairs respond together, they will often do odd caterwauling sounds in duet. Begging juveniles utter a sharp rising call that sounds like a slide whistle.
Citation: Personal Experience. I observe this regularly, highly confident.
Expanded Life History
| Feed Ecology And Diet | Contribute Content |
| Nesting Habits | Contribute Content |
| Migration Status | Contribute Content |
| Conservation Status | Contribute Content |
| Local Sites to Spot | Contribute Content |
| Abundance Status | Contribute Content |
| Adult Male Description | Contribute Content |
| Adult Female Description | Contribute Content |
| ITIS Taxonomic Number | Contribute Content |
| Sonogram | Contribute Content |
| Courtship | Contribute Content |
| Reproductive Characteristics | Contribute Content |
| Relationship to Humans | Contribute Content |
| ID Tips - Size & Shape | Contribute Content |
| ID Tips - Color & Pattern | Contribute Content |
| ID Tips - Habitat | Contribute Content |
| ID Tips - Behavior | Contribute Content |
| ID Tips - Wingspan | Contribute Content |
| ID Tips - Weight | Contribute Content |
| Breeding | Contribute Content |
| Cool Facts | Contribute Content |
| Local Knowledge | Contribute Content |
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Sightings
| Date | Submitted By | Count |
|---|---|---|
| 03/12/15 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
| 06/22/13 | Bob Archer | # |
| 06/05/13 | Jacob Crawford, VT | # |
| 06/05/13 | Jacob Crawford, VT | # |
| 04/17/12 | Joshua Kelver | # |
| 12/31/11 | Marjolein Schat, NJ | # |
| 12/26/11 | Joe Blowers, OR | # |
| 07/31/11 | Candi Mitchell, OR | # |
| 07/31/11 | Dan Mitchell, OR | 1 |
| 05/07/11 | Adrian Hinkle, OR | 1 |
| 04/30/11 | Bob Archer | 2 |
Recent Activity
| Activity | Date & Time |
|---|---|
| Candi Mitchell added Barred Owl to their Mitchell's Backyard, Tigard, Oregon smart list | 8/03/2011 at 6:18PM |
| Dan Mitchell added Barred Owl to their Mitchell's Backyard, Tigard, Oregon smart list | 8/02/2011 at 6:41PM |
| Dave Irons added a Behavior note to Barred Owl Behavior Notes | 7/16/2010 at 8:08AM |
