First, one replied, seeming to tolerate my feeble imitation of its song. Then a second one chimed in, triggering responses from the first and from me. Soon after, a third came alive with sound now coming from three points of the compass and the deck of my cabin. As dusk turned to full darkness, I stood enthralled by the haunting chorus around me, delighted that my partners allowed me to participate in an impromptu avian quartet.

It is my practice to stand on the deck late in the day and to voice a selection of owl calls into the gathering dusk. It does not often work but when it does, it is a great delight. At various times I have hosted Eastern Screech Owls, Northern Saw-whet Owls, Great Horned Owls, and Barred Owls. The partners in the quartet described above were Barred Owls, the most reliable visitors to my patch. They favor mixed forest and wooded swamps for nesting and hunting, occasionally using semi-open terrain if conditions are favorable. While we do not have swamps at our farm, we have several ponds and potholes that seem to fill the bill.

Barred Owls (scientific name Strix varia) are relatively sociable in my experience, and because they are not strictly nocturnal as with many owls, they are more often seen during our own waking hours. It is not unusual to see an owl perched along a roadside, or to come upon one while walking your favorite trail. Once you know how to recognize a Barred Owl, you can confidently make an identification without consulting your birding guide or the Merlin app. This is a handsome bird, easy on the eyes, and sometimes willing to engage in singing engagements with us.

I was informally introduced to this owl 50 years ago when walking a wooded hillside in southwestern New York on my first wild turkey hunt. A friend with a great deal of experience offered to show me the ropes and hosted me at his hillside cabin. On the evening before our hunt, we were scouting chunks of forest where Fred had seen or heard turkeys on previous scouting trips. As we approached a likely spot, Fred would cut loose with a raucous imitation of the Barred Owl in hopes that a fired-up gobbler might respond and reveal his roost tree for the night. We struck out the first three attempts but then it happened.

Fred blasted out “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?” as if he was the biggest, baddest Barred Owl ever heard in this forest. To my surprise, not only did a tom turkey shoot back with a loud gobble, a Barred Owl also joined the fun. Fred wisely shut down his calling, hoping the owl would call on its own. Sure enough, the owl sounded off again and the gobbler responded as if he had been insulted. Not wanting to spook either bird, we backed out of the forest quietly with a plan to return the following morning well before first light.

This owl is large at two feet tall, and full-bodied, with a short tail and broad, but short wings up to four feet wide. Females are generally larger than male birds. Its large facial disk is mid-brown in color with a darker rim and shaped like an apple. As with other owls, the facial disk plays a crucial role in the owl’s keen hearing, gathering even tiny sounds from potential prey. Unlike screech and horned owls, there are no ear tufts of feathers sticking up from the head. The eyes appear coal black, in contrast to the white streaks over the dark wings and upper body. The bill is pale yellow in color and there is a complete layer of feathers over the feet and legs, providing vital insulation for the owl in cold weather.

The Barred Owl is an agile flyer, able to negotiate thick cover in pursuit of small animals like squirrels or rats during nighttime forays. Those short wings allow quick beats and easy glides as the bird moves around. I would not want to be a mouse or shrew that attracted attention from this adept hunter. The bird also has a short, downward pitched scream that might be represented as “eeeoow” that must strike fear in prey species. Documented foods include birds, reptiles, amphibians, and large insects. Birds have also been observed wading in shallow water in search of prey.

This owl is generally regarded as native to eastern North America but they have gradually expanded their range so that they can be found in the northern Rocky Mountain states and beyond, to California and Alaska. Because of their size and adaptability, Barred Owls are considered invasive in some regions where they are displacing native birds like the Spotted Owl. Biologists have even advised culling operations to protect the Northern Spotted Owl, considered endangered in many parts of its range.

Roost trees are generally selected for good cover, to protect the birds during daylight hours. Thick foliage also provides protection from bad weather and cold conditions. During mating and nesting season, the birds become quite territorial, staking out territories that have been measured by radio tracking up to several hundred acres. Scientists report that nest sites may be quite close to raptors like Red-Tailed Hawks, but any Great Horned Owls in the area are reason to relocate since they are archrivals. Raccoons, martens, fishers, and Northern Goshawks are also known predators of Barred Owls and their nests.

Nests are generally located in hollow trees or in cavities created by broken tree branches. These owls are willing to use nest boxes if the location is appropriate. Beginning in March or early April, the female lays two to five eggs, and incubates them for a month before hatching occurs. Her mate brings food to her and once the chicks are stable in the nest, both parents will engage in hunting. The young birds develop feathers for flight after a month or so and are skilled enough in flying and hunting to become independent after four to five months. Life spans have been recorded up to 24 years.

Partners in Flight has estimated the North American population may be as high as three million Barred Owls, so they are not currently at risk. Changes in logging practices to leave dead snags standing, and to spare some large trees for seeding forest regeneration have helped preserve nest sites. Ongoing development by humans will cause habitat loss, and pollution along with heavy use of agricultural chemicals will impact the populations of many prey species for the owls. Hopefully there will never come a day when you cannot ask the local owls who cooks for whom!

If you like Ed Robinson’s writing, check out his two Nature Notes books! Click here for more information.