Barred Owl Behavioral Habits: Nesting, Mating, Diet

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Barred Owls are seen more often during daylight than most other owls. While mostly nocturnal, it often hunts during cloudy days and can be seen at dawn and dusk.

Its call sounds like "who cooks for you, who cooks for you".

In this post we'll explore the nesting habits, diet, calls, and mating rituals of what some call the Hoot Owl.

Description: Size - Field Marks

barred owl on ground caught rodent to bring back to nest.

These raptors are large. The bird is 18 inches to 2 feet in length, with females a little larger than males.

The Barred Owl is named for the feather patterns, which are barred with alternating colors of white and brown, along its head, chest, and back.

Its belly is streaked lengthwise with white and brown feathers.

Their eyes are large and dark brown. A Barred Owl has a pale gray disc around its eyes and a yellow bill. These discs are outlined with a dark brown line.

Just behind the facial disc, the white and brown barred pattern begins and continues down the bird's back.

Barred Owl Song and Mating Call

The Barred Owl is known for its most recognizable call. A series of eight accented hoots often described as "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?"

This call is typically a duet, with a mated pair calling back and forth to each other.

In addition to this signature call, the Barred Owl has a variety of other vocalizations.

These include a short and sharp "bark," a series of gurgling and liquid notes, and a high-pitched, eerie scream.

What Do Barred Owls Eat - Diet

The Barred Owl Feeds their young and themselves a diet of primarily voles, mice, and shrews.

Their diet can also include squirrels, rabbits, bats, snakes, and even going into the water for crayfish and frogs.

The size of the prey it eats determines how the owl eats. Small food is swallowed whole while larger food will be torn apart.

Barred Owls do not have crops like other birds. Instead, the first part of the stomach has acids that digest the food.

The second part is the gizzard, where hair and feathers of prey will eventually become pellets. Those pellets will be regurgitated and dropped to the ground.

Examining these pellets not only tells what the Barred Owl eats but also provides a clue to where they are nesting.

The regurgitated pellets are often dropped at the base of the nesting tree.

Owl Watching People Walk Along Sidewalk Close to Nest Site

Mating and Breeding Season Habits

The mating season can begin as early as December, with the males and females calling back and forth.

The courtship behavior includes bowing to each other and wing flapping. Preening each other also occurs.

During the winter, these birds are solitary but will reunite with previous mates in late winter.

Nesting and breeding season begins in March and can go into August. Barred Owls are monogamous and often mate for life.

Should one partner die, the remaining owl will find and breed with another.

Nesting Habits

The Barred Owl nesting habits are easy to study, as they often reuse the same nest from season to season.

They do not build a nest in the traditional sense. Instead, they use natural cavities or other bird's nests.

Habitat: Where They Nest

Barred owls prefer nesting in older mature forested areas. Tree cavities formed by disease or large broken branches are favorite nest sites.

Other common nest sites include previously used stick built or leaf nest built by squirrels, hawks, or crows.

If properly placed, they will easily make use of man-made bird houses.

Egg Laying - Incubation - Fledging

Once the nest site has been selected the female will lay 2 or 3 white eggs, but as many as 5 have been noted.

Females are the primary incubators while both males and females sit on eggs.

Barred Owl Nesting Stats
Barred Owl Nesting Habits
Eggs 2 - 3
Incubation 28 - 33 days
Nestling Phase 30 days
Broods 1

Incubation last about 28-33 days and the young will move from the nest onto a branch in about 30 days, but won't fly for another 10 - 12 days.

The young will continue to stay with the adults for as long as 4 - 6 months after fledging.

A word of caution, Barred Owls may attack people that get too close to a nesting site or their young.

Will Barred-Owls Attack People or Dogs?

We get asked if Barred Owls will attack humans and dogs. The answer is, ABSOLUTELY! These Owls are very territorial and protective of their young.

I learned first-hand as a friend of mine and I were finishing up a round of disc golf at dusk.

Suddenly, a female Barred Owl swooped down and pierced two inches under his right eye, behind his right ear, and put a hole in his ball cap.

We discovered we were close to the nest site. Keep in mind if you're walking your dog, keep it on a leash and do not go near any young or nest.

Migration Habits, Do Barred Owls Migrate?

The Barred Owl does not migrate and will stay in its territory for life if there is little risk of predation.

Territory size can be between 200 and 400 acres.

Predators of Barred-Owls

Predators include the Great-horned Owl and Northern Goshawks, which will attack adults and young.

In the nest, snakes, raccoons, and weasels will eat eggs and young.

General Information on the Owl species

Australian Owl Species for our friends.


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