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Eastern Screech Owl

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The most common of our small owls, the eastern screech-owl comes in two color morphs: red and gray, with gray being the more common. Its small size, cryptic coloration, and inactivity during the day make this bird easy to overlook.

Snowy Owl

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This nearly all-white bird of the far north is difficult to confuse with anything else. Young birds and adult females are streaked with black. Older adults males are pure white. Some winters when small mammals are scarce in the far north, snowy owls head south in search of food.

Spotted Owl

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The spotted owl is a large, dark-eyed owl of the old growth forests of the Pacific Northwest and the wooded canyons of the desert Southwest. Because of the spotted owl's reliance on old-growth woodland, environmentalists and the timber logging industry have clashed over preserving habitat for this gentle species.

Short-eared Owl

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Short-eared owls are medium-sized birds that hunt over grassy fields and marshes and are most likely to be seen at dusk, when field marks begin to fade. They breed across Alaska and northern Canada and south in the West to the center of the United States and in the East to New England and the eastern Great Lakes.

Long-eared Owl

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Long-eared owls are medium-sized birds that hunt over grassy fields and marshes and are most likely to be seen at dusk, when field marks begin to fade. They breed from central Canada south in the West to the United States–Mexico border and in the East through New England and irregularly south in the Appalachians to North Carolina.

Great Horned Owl

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The great horned owl is one of the most widespread and abundant owls in the world. It is easily recognized by its massive size, ear tufts, and white throat. A generalist, the great horned can be found in a wide variety of habitats, including agricultural areas, deserts, marshes, and most woodlands.

Barred Owl

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The classic "eight hooter," the barred owl lives in old forests and woods along rivers, swamps, and lakes. The nest is typically in a deep hollow in a dead tree but is sometimes in old crow or hawk nests. It feeds on small mammals and invertebrates, frequently sharing a territory with red-shouldered hawks.

Barn Owl

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Barn owls are medium-sized birds that hunt over grassy fields and marshes and are most likely to be seen at dusk, when field marks begin to fade. They breed throughout much of the United States, but they are rare along the northern tier states and in the higher mountains. They winter throughout much of the breeding range.

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