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  Profile

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  In flight

Owls

Barred Owl

Strix varia

• common
• 64 km/h
• Starter
• Least Concern

Who cooks for you? Who delivers for you? This owl does, silently, at midnight.

Population

~3.5 million individuals (Partners in Flight estimate, as cited by Cornell All About Birds)

Habitat

Mature mixed/deciduous or coniferous forests, wooded swamps and river bottoms, especially near water; adaptable to suburban areas with large trees

Fun fact

Barred Owls have expanded their range westward across the Pacific Northwest over the past century, where they now out-compete and interbreed with the threatened Northern Spotted Owl, prompting a controversial USFWS removal (culling) program to protect spotted owl habitat.

Range

Native to eastern North America (Nova Scotia/Quebec south through the eastern US to Texas and Florida); expanded westward over the past century across the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia, and northern California

Diet

Small mammals (mice, voles, squirrels, shrews), plus birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish, and invertebrates (one comprehensive diet study: ~76% mammals, ~16% invertebrates, ~6% birds, ~2.5% other vertebrates)

Size

0.48 m

Wingspan

1.05 m

Lifespan

24 years