Barred Owl Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  Barred Owls are large, stocky owls with rounded heads, no ear tufts, and medium length, rounded tails.

  Relative Size

  Smaller than a Great Horned Owl; larger than a Barn Owl.

  between crow and goose

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 16.9-19.7 in (43-50 cm)
    • Weight: 16.6-37.0 oz (470-1050 g)
    • Wingspan: 39.0-43.3 in (99-110 cm)

  © Sean Fitzgerald / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Barred Owls are mottled brown and white overall, with dark brown, almost black, eyes. The underparts are mostly marked with vertical brown bars on a white background, while the upper breast is crossed with horizontal brown bars. The wings and tail are barred brown and white.

• Behavior

  Barred Owls roost quietly in forest trees during the day, though they can occasionally be heard calling in daylight hours. At night they hunt small animals, especially rodents, and give an instantly recognizable “Who cooks for you?” call.
• Habitat

  Barred Owls live in large, mature forests made up of both deciduous trees and evergreens, often near water. They nest in tree cavities. In the Northwest, Barred Owls have moved into old-growth coniferous forest, where they compete with the threatened Spotted Owl. In 2021, a disjunct population of Barred Owls in Mexico, long considered to be a subspecies of Barred Owl, was split and named Cinereous Owl (Strix sartorii).