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Nothing is more exciting than spotting an bird of Minerva in your backyard if you inhabit in Oklahoma . These magnificent razz of fair game are a beautiful sight to behold . If you ’re an avid birdwatcher , you ’re in all probability eager to identify which types of owls are visiting your place .
There are 9 owl species found in Oklahoma , including the Eastern Screech - Owl , Burrowing Owl , Western Screech - Owl , Barn Owl , Long - Eared Owl , Barred Owl , Short - Eared Owl , Snowy Owl , and Great Horned Owl . While several of these owl species have their preferred mating and migratory ranges , it ’s possible to spot a floating or irrupting owl in region outside their known territory . If you see an bird of night in Oklahoma that is not on this list , reckon yourself lucky !
Legend for the following owl rangemaps
The legend below can be used to serve you ascertain where each of the 9 bird of Minerva of Oklahoma populate during different part of the year .
The 9 Species of Owls in Oklahoma
Eastern Screech-Owl
Megascops genus Asio
Order : Strigiformes
Family : Strigidae
Legend for the following owl rangemaps
Size:6 - 10 in . ( 16 - 25 curium )
feature 5 subspecies , eastern screech - owls are small birds maxing out at just under 10 - inches in duration . These owls are monogamous and less nervous than other owls , frequently living in nesting boxes and even using birdbaths to wash away up . easterly screaming - owls are typically easy to spot because they predate on songbirds during the daytime . This footling raptor ’s sizing prove deceptive . These are highly territorial razzing , even from a new long time . unseasoned easterly screech - owls will fight down amongst themselves for food , and may even kill the belittled and weakly of their sibling — an act known as siblicide that is common in birds of quarry .
easterly screech - owl are unretentive , stocky bird with small heads and square tush . These owls occur in gray morphs and crimson ( or rufous ) morphs , with some hooter exhibiting dark-brown plumage . The colour of each easterly screech - owl depends on the type of forest it reside in , as its food colour helps to camouflage it from potential predators . These are very vocal owls that use trilling call to pull in mates and communicate with their kinsperson . Their distinctive whicker - like shriek are heavy to miss !
Eastern screech - owls prefer to live in forests but are often well-chosen to live in urban areas , too . you’re able to regain the easterly screech - owl from Vermont to Montana , in a broad image span all the way down to Texas and back across the land to Florida . These birds can be establish in wooded , rural , and suburban options .
Burrowing Owl
Athene cunicularia
Size:7.5 - 9.8 in ( 19 - 25 cm )
These small bird of night know in grasslands and deserts where they enjoy feeding on louse , pocket-size mammals , and reptilian . tunnel owls are among only a handful of owls that opt to hunt during the daytime , pass their nights tucked away in their hideaway . When burrows are not available to them , these extremely adaptable birds make their home in buckets , pipes , and tubing . tunnel owl have a higher tolerance for carbon dioxide than other snort , enabling them to drop more prison term huddled up in a small space . These skirt smartly use dung to carpet their dens , which invite insects to visit , cater the bird with an easy repast . Burrowing bird of Minerva have also been know to stash shiny objects , such as bottle cap , paper snip , and morsel of tin foil .
burrow owls have long legs and an upright posture . They also have vivid yellow centre and although their red - brown feather resembles both the blockaded and boreal owls , the fact that they dwell on the ground makes it easy to differentiate between these species . tunnel owls are pretty tranquil , with Male producing high - pitched “ coo - coos ” to defend their dominion and draw mates .
As their name suggests , burrow owl make their homes in underground burrow , ordinarily left behind by prairie dogs . you’re able to receive burrowing bird of night year - rhythm throughout the southwest , predominantly in California , Arizona , New Mexico , and Texas . However , this owl ’s breeding range extends much farther northerly , up to Washington , Montana , and North Dakota .
Western Screech-Owl
Megascops kennicottii
Size:7.5 - 9.5 in . ( 19 - 24 cm )
These are small owls , maxing out at just 9 inches in length and with wingspans of more or less 24 inch . But , do n’t allow their small stature lead astray you . These raspberry are serious predators , on a regular basis seeking out prey many time their own size . While westerly screech - owls feed on rodent , small chick , earthworms , and other bug , they ’ve also been seen preying on rabbits . westerly screech - owls wish to sit tight to where limbs meet the tree trunk , so they can huddle up against them to camouflage themselves from predators and prey . These are timeserving predatory animal who wish an easy meal , but , when determine , they will also tail their prey down , sometimes grabbing birds and insects midflight .
Western screech - owls look much like easterly screech - owls , with adult morphs in Great Plains , Mexican , Mojave , brown Pacific , and gray Pacific color . They have grizzly and chocolate-brown plumage with no suggestion of bolshie . Western screaming - hooter have humble , pear-shaped question with spike tuft and vivid yellow eyes . perverse to what their name would lead you to believe , westerly screech - hooter usually do n’t screech . alternatively , they utilise short whistles and trills to pass with each other .
These owls are highly adaptable , making their homes in a variety of neighborhood , include desert , grasslands , forests , and urban areas . you may find westerly screech - owl all across the west coast , drift inward a spot to Idaho , Wyoming , Utah , Colorado , New Mexico , and parts of Texas . If you live in one of these region , try installing a nesting box to draw a westerly scream - owl to your backyard .
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
Family : Tytonidae
Size:12.5 - 16 in . ( 32 - 40 cm )
well recognize by their pallid essence - shape faces , barn owl are some of the most widespread owls in the world . These owls thrive in deserts and grasslands , but can even be found in frigid part . Barn owls are especially common on farms , where they like to hound for field mice among the crops in the morning and evening , and where they can take shelter in barns during the daytime . With their serrated wings , these fearsome predator fly soundlessly as they go in for the killing . Barn hooter are monogamous , mating for life . They do not work up nests but choose to pose their eggs in the hollows of trees . The amount of food these skirt receive has a direct impact on how many eggs they lay — the more field mouse , rats , and shrews they consume , the more owlets in their brood .
Barn owls are quite gangling compared to other bird of Minerva . They have prominent hazel to brown eyes prepare in concave , heart - shaped faces that are environ by a fragile outline of pale chocolate-brown feathers . Barn owls are Milk River white in color with tan and rust brown plumage on their spine and flank . These owls do not hoot but instead prefer to communicate via shriek .
you could find the barn owl in all but the topmost region of the U.S. Even though these birds are usual throughout the nation , their universe is dwindle away somewhat due to dwelling house loss . Barn owls reside year - bout as far south as Texas and Arizona , as far east as Pennsylvania , and all across the Pacific Northwest .
Long-Eared Owl
Asio otus
Size:14 - 16 in . ( 35 - 40 cm )
At 15 inch in length and with an impressive wingspan of 39 inches , the long - eared owl has been know to steal nests forth from jays and crows to bring up their own vernal . This passably problematical bird of Minerva can be tough to find , preferring to seek shelter in dense woodlands . And , regrettably , its universe has worsen 91 % since 1970 . Unlike most owls , long - eared owls are not very territorial and prefer to trust on their camouflage to blot out from potential predator . When confronted , most long - eared owls simply vaporize away . Because these skirt can be nervous , they can be tough for birdwatchers to track down . But if you are favourable enough to make out a long - eared hooter , keep your eyes peeled for more — long - eared owls roost in groups of 6 to 50 .
At first glimpse , the long - eared hooter greatly resembles the great horned owl . But a unaired inspection reveals that long - eared owls possess a distinctive fin - shaped feather pattern on their faces . The tuft of plumage that make up their face disks surround bright orangish eyes , give them a surprised expression . The second set of feather tuft sitting on top of their head gives them their iconic long - eared appearance These are gangling birds that have tan aspect with variegated plumage in spectre of brown , tan , gray , and white .
Long - eared hooter live twelvemonth - round in Wyoming , Nevada , Colorado , Arizona , New York , Michigan , and Wisconsin . During the reproduction season , these bird venture further north to Montana , North Dakota , and Minnesota . These birdie can be spotted in all but the southernmost portion of Florida , Alabama , Mississippi , Louisiana , and Texas . Long - eared hooter prefer to live in open spaces that have thick clusters of scattered Tree , provide them with a safe post to essay protection as they trace for small mammals .
Barred Owl
Strix varia
Size:19 - 22 in . ( 48.25 - 56 atomic number 96 )
Masters of disguise , barred owls can be baffling to spot . luckily , their gimcrack hooting calls “ Who fix for you ? Who cooks for you all ? ” are easy to hear . relegate bird of night opt to dwell in forests where they can track down rabbits , squirrels , and even raccoons . These owls saw a serious universe boom in the 20th C , expanding their compass to admit forestland in the western states . Barred owls tend to stay close to menage throughout their lives , often only traveling around a 6 - mile r . Like barn owls , barred owls are monogamous and do most of their hunting at night .
With their recondite brown eyes and aristocratic round facial expression , stop owls look exactly as you would expect bird of night to look . These raspberry are covered in crimson - dark-brown feathers with white horizontal stripes or prevention . Barred bird of night are most commonly pick out on the edge of forests at dusk , where they can easily locate their prey .
Once relegated to southeastern Canada and New England , the barred owl expand westward . These owls can now be found in theatrical role of Minnesota , Nebraska , Kansas , and Oklahoma . debar bird of night have become quite adaptable , and can be spotted in urban orbit as well as rural realm . These birds are super territorial , with mated pairs stimulate into hooting match with outsider in fiat to defend their homes .
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeus
Size:14.5 - 15 in . ( 37 - 38 cm )
A Hellenic birdwatcher preferent , short - eared owls Holman Hunt during the daytime and can be chance throughout the United States . These owls are some of the few that prefer to work up their own nest . Females make their stadium - shaped nest in the ground , lining them with feathering , grasses , and other soft materials before lay clutches of 4 to 7 egg . shortly - eared owls have very distinctive flight patterns , with irregular wingbeats similar to that of bat or moths . These birds are typically 17 inch in length and have wingspans of up to 43 inches . They use their powerful wings to stay upright as they swoop feet - first to capture their prey , which consist of small mammal , rodent , reptilian , and amphibians . Short - eared owls sometimes dine on songbirds and will tear the wings off before get down them whole .
The ear tufts of the short - eared bird of Minerva are situated towards the center of their head , and they ’re so short that sometimes they may not be seeable at all . Short - eared owl have tawny plume on their backs and wing with tan bellies that are interspersed with perpendicular dark browned bar . Tailfeathers are debar . These hooter have modest , round face with pale tan to creamy white facial disks accented by black - brim yellow eyes . Short - eared owls apply sharp-worded “ waowk - waowk - waowk ” calls to communicate and “ eeee - yerp ” cries during the mating time of year .
Excellent recollective - distance fliers , short - eared owls have been reported set ashore on watercraft hundreds of land mile from shoring . These birds will fly over the ocean and land to reach their breeding grounds in northerly Canada . you could witness short - eared owls living year - cycle in the north and northwest portion of the United States . But , because they travel on a regular basis , you could blemish stragglers in nearly every state in the country . These birds favour to dwell in open areas , include grasslands , marshes , and farmland .
Snowy Owl
genus Bubo scandiacus
Size:20.5 - 27.9 in . ( 52 - 71 centimeter )
Snowy owls are the heaviest owls , with adult average between 3 and 5 pound . Their dense feather makes them rotund , but it also allow them to withstand the cold temperatures of the Arctic tundra . These are powerful birds at roughly 28 inch foresightful with a wingspread of 57 inches . They ’re fast-growing , too , using their piercing talon and strong feet to defend their territorial dominion from piranha and competitors . These owl Holman Hunt almost alone during the daylight and can eat more than 1,600 lemming in a year . Their voracious appetites can have a annihilating impact on their food for thought supply , but these skilled flier are unforced and able to fly south in search of quarry . white bird of night population have decline 64 % since 1970 due to illegal hunt and vehicle collisions , as well as climate change .
Juveniles of the species have brownish and black marker over a base of white plume . As these birds age , they lose most of their marking . At maturity , male will be almost sodding bloodless , with females keep some of their patternings . These bird of night have hoarse voices and use a miscellanea of calls , the most frequent of which is a rhythmic “ krooh - krooh - krooh - krooh ” .
Snowy owl do n’t experience in the United States all year long , however , they do winter in the northerly State Department . you may see snowy bird of Minerva from Washington all the way across to Maine . In year when their preferred quarry was especially limited , snowy owls were sight as far in the south as Florida , so it ’s potential to distinguish one of these looker no matter where you are in the U.S.
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Size:18 - 26 in . ( 46 - 63 centimeter )
Far from meek , Great tusk owls have been fuck to trace other birds of quarry , including ospreys , peregrines , and even other bird of Minerva . With their strong talons , these birds can exert 28 - dog pound of strength allowing them to tackle big prey . Great orned owls are a major threat to other birds , especially Jay and Crow . In fact , if you ever find out a large group of these bird throw a fuss , there ’s a in effect chance it ’s because a enceinte horned owl has gotten too cheeseparing to their nest . The capital horned owl ’s feather is ultra - soft , and this provides the animals with several welfare . For starters , it protects them from the rough cold . But it also mute voice , set aside them to fly silently as they swoop down on their fair game . Interestingly , although the females of the species are larger than the males , females have higher - pitched voices , and mate pairs often synchronize their calls .
The great horned owl is easily key by a match pair of tufts on either side of its head , giving it a horned appearing . They have gray-headed to red - browned barred plumage and golden yellow eyes that do not move within the sockets . These birds can revolve their heads 180 degrees to see and hear what ’s going on around them . Facial feathering disk help unmediated soundwaves to their ears , set aside them to cut across their prey , and their encompassing backstage enable them to vaporize dexterously , with serrate elementary feathers dispersing turbulence and softer plume muffling audio .
These magnificent owls can be found in every state in the state except Hawaii . These owls are native to the Americas , and they ’re highly adaptable , dwelling in forested , rural , and urban areas alike . While you ’re liable to see a nifty horned bird of night just about anywhere , keep your eyes peeled near wooded areas , specially along treelines as these raspberry care to perch near exposed fields to find their prey .
How to Attract Oklahoma Owls to Your Backyard
While some bird of Minerva , like the boreal owl and the whiskery scream - owl , avoid humans and can be tough to find , other hooter , like the barred bird of Minerva and eastern and westerly screech - owls , are much easy to attract .
Installnesting boxeson tree , perch , and fence in to further your neighborhood owls to take up residence on your property . Leaving brush , woodwind piles , and older lawn trimmings supply homes for vole , field of view mice , rabbit , gopher , andsnakes . have spate of these critter nearby is a surefire way to get your local bird of night ’ attention .
Because many owls like to feed onsongbirdsandsquirrels , setting up a bird bird feeder andgetting a bird bathcan also encourage owls to pay you a sojourn . Of course , some birds work to scare off hooter off . John Jay , crows , blackbirds , grackles , and starling regularly mob owls , so take measure to scare away these birds away — take down starling draw close boxful , and remove cracked corn and peanuts from your self-feeder , which are the preferred food of these birds .
bird of Minerva love to sit on poles and in leafless trees because they make it well-fixed for them to pick out prey . check that your owls have plenty of berth to roost on . you may also pull these birds by throttle your outdoor action , peculiarly in the other morning and late eventide hour when they wish to hunt . Together , all of these metre will help your neighborhood hooter feel right at home in your backyard .
All State Owls
Want to see what owl specie are found in other states ? Here ’s our complete list of owls found in each state :
