Barred Owl Pair

A Couple Of Barred Owls

A Barred Owl

It is not to often I get to see a pair of Barred Owls together. I want to thank Ricky Hobbs for letting me know where this pair was located at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.

Breeding habitats are dense woods across Canada, the eastern United States, and south to Mexico; in recent years it has spread to the northwestern United States, having gradually spread further south in the west. The species is particularly numerous in a variety of wooded habitats in the southeastern United States. Recent studies show suburban neighborhoods can be ideal habitat for barred owls. Using transmitters, scientists found that populations increased faster in the suburban settings than in old growth forest. A factor of this suburban success may be easily accessible rodent prey in such settings. However, for breeding and roosting needs, this species needs at least some large trees and can be locally absent in some urban areas for this reason. The main danger to owls in suburban settings is from cars. The increased offspring offset the death rate due to impacts from cars and disease.