If you are near a wooded area on one of these warm summer nights, listen to what’s going on in the darkness. The denizens of the night are out there. If you’re lucky, you’ll hear a Barred owl.
Deep moist forests or woodlands near rivers or lakes is the preferred home to one of eastern North America’s great predators. The Barred owl (Strix varia), so named because of his striped chest, is known for his distinctive call of Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all. Commonly called a hoot owl, this large, approximately 16 to 26-inch tall owl has an impressive 38 to 50-inch wingspan, a flat face, dark eyes (not the usual golden eyes of many owls), beautiful mottled plumage and is lacking ear tufts. The Barred owl’s soft brown/gray bark-like coloring allows him to virtually disappear into the trees where he roosts during the daytime.
Pairs mate for life and are territorial. Fortunately for owl-watchers, the Barred owl calls year round. Two broods of 2 to 4 chicks are raised each year and the young are in their parents’ care for about months. After this, the young owl’s stake out their own territory, which is usually not too far away? This is one owl that isn’t picky about what it eats. Insects, small mammals, frogs, snakes, lizards, roosting birds, even fish are on the menu.
Owls are so silent in their flight that even a large Barred owl can swoop past you in the darkness without making a sound, You’ll only be aware of a dark shape passing by and perhaps a rush of air. Because of their stealthy flight, Native Americans thought owls must be spirits. The owl’s silent flight is due to the comb-like structure of the leading edge of its primary wing feathers. This breaks down the turbulence and muffles the sound of the air rushing across the surface of the owl’s wings. Regardless of the physics, having an owl strafe you in the darkness is a chilling, almost supernatural experience.
Supposedly, Barred owls are attracted to campfires. Test this theory on your next camping trip in the woods and let us know if you had company.
You can hear the many sounds of the Barred owl here.
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