Summary ³

Barred Owls are uncommon visitors to the Arboretum, usually spotted near Buffalo Bayou. These large, round-headed owls have dark eyes and vertical bars on their bellies. They are nocturnal and prefer to hunt in deciduous forest near water, catching frogs, fish, small mammals, birds, and even invertebrates like crawfish. After sunset, listen for their distinctive hoot: "who cooks for you, who cooks for you all?" In early spring, pairs engage in wild hooting duets that include loud barking, yodeling, and other bizarre noises.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Jacob McGinnis, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/93649757@N07/16327065288/
2. (c) Jacob McGinnis, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/93649757@N07/14430898249/
3. Adapted by hancnaturalist from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strix_varia

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• CalPhotos
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• VertNet
• Xeno-canto

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