Barred Owl

General Information  

The barred owl is a common, medium-sized owl found throughout Ohio and the eastern United States, south into Mexico and north into the southern part of Canada. In recent years, barred owl populations have been moving west through the United States, and they may be partly responsible for the decline of the spotted owl in this region. When barred owls and spotted owls live in the same area, the more aggressive barred owl tends to push the spotted owl out.

Barred owls prefer to live in large, forested areas, usually near a water source such as a marsh or stream. Researchers have found that this habitat choice has more to do with the fact that trees are less likely to be disturbed in wetter areas than it does with the owls needing to live near a water source.   

Meet Our Barred Owl  

One barred owl, Beaker, lives in the Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center & Woods Garden—Presented by KeyBank at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Beaker 

Beaker the barred owl came to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in 2012 from Back to the Wild, a wildlife rehabilitation center in Castalia, Ohio. He was an adult when he was found with damage to his right wing. Unfortunately, the damaged wing could not be restored to its natural form, preventing Beaker from flying well enough to survive in the wild. Beaker is now glove-trained and used in educational programs throughout the Museum. 

Lifespan

Wild: 10–15 years  
Captivity: 15–20 years  

Fun Facts  

  • Barred owls do not migrate; they stay in the same general area all year long.
  • The only known natural predator of the barred owl is the great horned owl.
  • One way to identify a barred owl is by its distinctive call. Many believe its call sounds like “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?”
  • Barred owls eat small mammals and birds as well as a wide variety of reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates.
  • Barred owls mate for life. They make their nests in tree cavities created by pileated woodpeckers or from nests previously constructed by squirrels, crows, or hawks.