Wildlife Watching Wednesday: Barred Owls - Silent Hunters

By: Tom Berg

The barred owl is one of the silent night hunters of the Midwest and eastern United States. They are expanding their range out west, too. Their specialized feathers allow them to fly in almost complete silence, remaining undetected by their prey until it is too late. When they are heard, though, it is their distinctive “Who cooks for you?” call that gives them away. 

Barred owls are often called wood owls or striped owls, and for good reason. These “wood owls” prefer to live in dense woods or the interior of our forests and woodlots, especially where ponds or lakes are nearby. The light-colored feathers covering most of their body have horizontal brown bars, while their belly feathers have vertical stripes. Thus the nickname “striped owl”.

Adult barred owls are fairly large birds, standing a full two feet tall and having a wingspan of up to four feet. They have dark brown eyes (almost black), which is unusual since most other owls have bright yellow eyes. Barred owls avoid areas where great horned owls are living, mainly because the larger great horned owls will kill and eat them.

Like all owls, barred owls can fly silently and catch their prey in nearly total darkness. They eat a wide variety of animals, including mice, voles, squirrels, rabbits, frogs, snakes and even other birds. They also eat large insects like moths, grasshoppers, beetles and many others. Since they like to hunt near water, they sometimes take crayfish and even fish from very shallow water.

A breeding pair of barred owls usually chooses an old hollow tree as a nest site, although they are also known to re-use an old hawk nest from a red-tailed hawk or a red-shouldered hawk. After the female lays a clutch of 2-4 eggs, the male hunts and brings her food while she incubates the eggs.

If you hear the “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you, all?” call this summer, you will know that a barred owl is near.

Have you done something interesting outdoors? Join Global Outdoors and write a review to tell everyone about it! We’re building the home for trusted reviews of outdoor experiences, outfitters, and guides.