Get a Landscaping or Gardening Quote
Enter your zippo code
Nothing is more exciting than spotting an owl in your backyard if you inhabit in Virginia . These magnificent birds of target are a beautiful sight to behold . If you ’re an zealous birdwatcher , you ’re credibly eager to name which type of owls are visiting your property .
There are 8 owl species found in Virginia , including the Long - Eared Owl , Eastern Screech - Owl , Barn Owl , Snowy Owl , Northern Saw - Whet Owl , Short - Eared Owl , Barred Owl , and Great Horned Owl . While several of these owl metal money have their pet sexual union and migratory ranges , it ’s possible to fleck a vagrant or burst out hooter in sphere outside their known territory . If you see an bird of night in Virginia that is not on this list , consider yourself lucky !
Legend for the following owl rangemaps
The legend below can be used to help you decide where each of the 8 hooter of Virginia lives during different parts of the class .
The 8 Species of Owls in Virginia
Long-Eared Owl
Asio genus Otus
Order : order Strigiformes
Family : Strigidae
Legend for the following owl rangemaps
Size:14 - 16 in . ( 35 - 40 cm )
At 15 inches in duration and with an impressive wingspread of 39 inches , the long - eared owl has been known to steal nests by from jay and crows to raise their own untried . This somewhat elusive bird of Minerva can be tough to regain , preferring to seek shelter in slow woodlands . And , unfortunately , its population has declined 91 % since 1970 . Unlike most owl , long - eared owls are not very territorial and favour to rely on their camouflage to blot out from possible predator . When confronted , most long - eared owls simply vanish aside . Because these birds can be flighty , they can be toughened for birdwatchers to track down . But if you are lucky enough to spot a long - eared bird of Minerva , keep your center peel for more — long - eared bird of night roost in mathematical group of 6 to 50 .
At first glance , the long - eared owl greatly resembles the great horned owl . But a near review divulge that long - eared owls possess a typical quint - shape feather pattern on their faces . The tufts of feathering that make up their boldness disks surround burnished orange eyes , render them a surprised expression . The 2nd set of feather tuft sit on top of their head gives them their iconic long - eared show These are lanky fowl that have tan faces with variegated plumage in shades of brown , tan , gray , and whitened .
Long - eared owls live twelvemonth - round in Wyoming , Nevada , Colorado , Arizona , New York , Michigan , and Wisconsin . During the breeding time of year , these birds venture farther northwards to Montana , North Dakota , and Minnesota . These birds can be blot in all but the southernmost fate of Florida , Alabama , Mississippi , Louisiana , and Texas . Long - eared owls prefer to live in unfastened space that have impenetrable clustering of scatter trees , providing them with a good position to attempt tax shelter as they run for little mammals .
Eastern Screech-Owl
Megascops asio
Size:6 - 10 in . ( 16 - 25 cm )
feature 5 subspecies , easterly screech - owls are small Bronx cheer maxing out at just under 10 - column inch in length . These bird of night are monogamous and less skittish than other owls , frequently hold out in nesting corner and even using birdbaths to wash out up . Eastern shriek - bird of Minerva are typically easy to distinguish because they prey on songbirds during the daylight . This little raptor ’s size proves shoddy . These are extremely territorial chick , even from a vernal age . Young eastern screech - owls will struggle amongst themselves for food , and may even kill the smallest and weak of their siblings — an act known as siblicide that is usual in wench of prey .
Eastern screech - owls are short , compact birds with small heads and straight tails . These hooter pass off in gray morphs and red ( or rufous ) morphs , with some owls exhibiting brown plume . The color of each eastern screech - hooter depends on the case of forest it rest in , as its coloring helps to camouflage it from potential predators . These are very outspoken owls that use warble birdcall to draw mates and communicate with their families . Their distinctive whicker - alike screeches are concentrated to escape !
easterly screech - owls choose to know in forests but are often happy to live in urban sphere , too . you could find the eastern screech - bird of night from Vermont to Montana , in a spacious mountain range sweeping all the way down to Texas and back across the states to Florida . These birdie can be found in wooded , rural , and suburban options .
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
Family : Tytonidae
Size:12.5 - 16 in . ( 32 - 40 cm )
easy recognized by their pale centre - influence face , barn bird of night are some of the most widespread owl in the world . These hooter flourish in deserts and grasslands , but can even be found in polar part . Barn hooter are peculiarly common on farms , where they care to track down for plain mouse among the crops in the morning and eve , and where they can take shelter in barns during the daytime . With their serrate extension , these direful vulture flee noiselessly as they go in for the kill . Barn owls are monogamous , mating for life . They do not work up nests but prefer to lay their eggs in the hollows of trees . The amount of food these bird receive has a unmediated shock on how many bollock they set — the more vole , rats , and shrews they consume , the more owlets in their brood .
Barn owl are quite lanky liken to other owls . They have large hazel to brown eyes set in concave , heart - shaped faces that are surrounded by a frail outline of pale brown feathers . Barn owl are milk white in color with tan and rust dark-brown feathering on their spine and wing . These owls do not hoot but alternatively favor to communicate via screeches .
you’re able to recover the barn owl in all but the uppermost region of the U.S. Even though these chick are common throughout the land , their universe is dwindling somewhat due to abode loss . Barn owl occupy year - daily round as far in the south as Texas and Arizona , as far east as Pennsylvania , and all across the Pacific Northwest .
Snowy Owl
genus Bubo scandiacus
Size:20.5 - 27.9 in . ( 52 - 71 cm )
Snowy owls are the heavy owls , with adults averaging between 3 and 5 pounds . Their dense feather make them weightier , but it also allows them to resist the dusty temperature of the Arctic tundra . These are powerful shuttlecock at roughly 28 inches long with a wingspan of 57 inches . They ’re aggressive , too , using their crisp talons and hard feet to maintain their district from marauder and competitors . These bird of Minerva hunt almost exclusively during the daylight and can eat more than 1,600 lemming in a year . Their voracious appetites can have a withering shock on their food supply , but these skilled fliers are uncoerced and able to fly south in hunt of fair game . Snowy owl population have declined 64 % since 1970 due to illegal hunting and fomite collisions , as well as climate change .
Juveniles of the species have dark-brown and opprobrious marking over a fundament of lily-white plumage . As these birdie age , they lose most of their markings . At maturity , male will be almost pure blanched , with females retaining some of their patternings . These hooter have hoarse vocalization and utilise a miscellany of calls , the most frequent of which is a rhythmic “ krooh - krooh - krooh - krooh ” .
Snowy owls do n’t live in the United States all year long , however , they do winter in the northern states . you could see snow-covered owls from Washington all the way across to Maine . In year when their preferred prey was specially limited , snow-clad owls were sighted as far to the south as Florida , so it ’s possible to blob one of these mantrap no matter where you are in the U.S.
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Aegolius acadicus
Size:8 - 8.5 in . ( 20.3 - 21.5 centimeter )
These owls are short and summary . At just 8 inches in length and with a wingspan of 22 in , northern sawing machine - whet owls are among the smallest owls in the United States . northerly saw - whet bird of night like to feed on deer mouse , using their knifelike beaks to tear their fair game into smaller piece , breaking up a unmarried mouse into several meal . Because these owls are nocturnal , and because they ’re so small , they can be difficult to trail . But their sharp cries make it easier to locate them in their forest homes . northerly proverb - whet hooter are mostly lone creatures , only socializing with their mates . female have been cognize to have two mates , leave the first to raise a brood with the second . These bird of Minerva have porphyrin pigments in their feathers , and when crystallise with a UV light , the ventral side of the extension shows a neon pink color . This helps researcher determine an bird of Minerva ’s age .
Named because its call sounds like a sawing machine being sharpened on a whetstone , saw - whet owls have diminished heads and cat - like faces with relatively large white-livered eyes . With rusting - colored spine , breasts , and wing , northerly saw - whet owls have spotted straits and distinctive Y - shaped markings on their faces . These owls use a variety of vocalizations to commune . They ’re most well identified by their strident “ too - too - too ” calls , which they utilize to attract mates . The cries of northerly saw - whet owls are so loud that they can be hear nearly 1,000 feet away .
One of the most common bird of Minerva in the U.S. , the northern saw - whet prefers to lie in great deal forests . They can be constitute year - beat in California , New Mexico , Utah , and Colorado , and in the northeasterly states , Minnesota , Wisconsin , Michigan , New York , and all the style through to Maine . These owls can be seen in other territories , too , during non - breeding metre . It ’s not unheard of to see northern proverb - whet bird of night throughout the midwest , including Kansas , Missouri , and Illinois .
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeus
Size:14.5 - 15 in . ( 37 - 38 cm )
A classic birdwatcher favorite , brusque - eared owl hunt during the day and can be rule throughout the United States . These owls are some of the few that choose to make their own nests . female fabricate their roll - shaped nest in the ground , lining them with plume , locoweed , and other soft materials before laying clutches of 4 to 7 eggs . Short - eared owl have very distinctive flight practice , with irregular wingbeats like to that of at-bat or moths . These birds are typically 17 column inch in duration and have wingspans of up to 43 inches . They use their powerful wings to stay upright as they swoop metrical foot - first to entrance their prey , which consist of pocket-size mammals , rodents , reptiles , and amphibian . Short - eared hooter sometimes dine on songbirds and will tear the wings off before live with them whole .
The ear tufts of the short - eared bird of night are locate towards the center of their heads , and they ’re so short that sometimes they may not be visible at all . Short - eared owl have tawny plumage on their backs and wings with tan abdomen that are intersperse with vertical dark brown streaks . Tailfeathers are block . These hooter have minor , round faces with pale tan to creamy white facial disc accented by black - brimmed chicken eyes . shortly - eared owl use crisp “ waowk - waowk - waowk ” call to pass and “ eeee - yerp ” cries during the mating season .
fantabulous longsighted - aloofness fliers , short - eared owls have been reported landing on watercraft one C of miles from shore . These bird will fly over the ocean and ground to reach their gentility grounds in northerly Canada . you’re able to witness short - eared owls living year - troll in the north and northwest portions of the United States . But , because they travel regularly , you’re able to spot stragglers in closely every state in the nation . These birds prefer to brood in open expanse , including grasslands , marshes , and farmland .
Barred Owl
genus Strix varia
Size:19 - 22 in . ( 48.25 - 56 cm )
Masters of disguise , barred owl can be tough to espy . fortuitously , their loud hooting calls “ Who wangle for you ? Who cook for you all ? ” are well-fixed to get a line . Barred hooter prefer to consist in forest where they can track down rabbits , squirrels , and even racoon . These owls saw a serious population manna from heaven in the 20th one C , expanding their compass to let in forestland in the western state . block owls tend to stay closely to home throughout their lives , often only traveling around a 6 - mile spoke . Like barn owls , barred hooter are monogamous and do most of their hunting at night .
With their deep brownish eyes and gentle round of drinks face , banish bird of Minerva look exactly as you would ask owls to look . These birds are cover in crimson - brownish feather with white horizontal grade insignia or bars . Barred owls are most commonly spotted on the edge of timber at fall , where they can easily locate their prey .
Once relegated to southeastern Canada and New England , the barred bird of Minerva expand westwards . These owls can now be institute in part of Minnesota , Nebraska , Kansas , and Oklahoma . Barred owl have become quite adaptable , and can be recognize in urban areas as well as rural regions . These birds are extremely territorial , with mated pair getting into hoot matches with outsider in purchase order to guard their home .
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Size:18 - 26 in . ( 46 - 63 curium )
Far from meek , Great horn bird of Minerva have been screw to track down other doll of prey , including fish hawk , peregrine , and even other owls . With their strong talon , these wench can exert 28 - pounds of force appropriate them to undertake with child target . Great orned owl are a major threat to other birds , peculiarly jays and vaporing . In fact , if you ever hear a tumid mathematical group of these wench bring in a spat , there ’s a dear hazard it ’s because a great horned owl has gotten too unaired to their nests . The great horn hooter ’s plumage is radical - soft , and this provide the animals with several welfare . For starters , it protect them from the harsh cold . But it also muffles sound , allowing them to pilot wordlessly as they swoop up down on their prey . Interestingly , although the female of the species are larger than the males , females have higher - pitched phonation , and entangle pairs often synchronize their call option .
The dandy horned owl is easily identified by a agree yoke of tufts on either side of its school principal , giving it a tusk appearance . They have gray to crimson - brown bar plumage and golden yellow eyes that do not move within the socket . These birds can rotate their heads 180 degrees to see and learn what ’s go on around them . Facial feather record serve direct soundwaves to their ears , allowing them to give chase their quarry , and their wide-cut flank enable them to pilot deftly , with serrated primary feather pass around Sturm und Drang and softer feathers repress sound .
These magnificent owls can be retrieve in every state in the country except Hawaii . These hooter 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 great tusk bird of Minerva just about anywhere , keep your center peeled near wooded areas , especially along treelines as these birds like to perch near overt fields to discover their prey .
How to Attract Virginia Owls to Your Backyard
While some hooter , like the boreal bird of night and the whiskered screech - bird of night , avoid homo and can be toughened to happen , other bird of night , like the relegate bird of Minerva and eastern and western screech - owls , are much easy to draw .
Installnesting boxeson trees , poles , and fence to encourage your neighborhood bird of night to take up residence on your property . Leaving brush , wood mint , and old lawn trimmings provides place for field mouse , orbit mice , rabbit , gophers , andsnakes . Having stack of these critters nearby is a surefire way to get your local bird of night ’ aid .
Because many owls like to feed onsongbirdsandsquirrels , setting up a bird self-feeder andgetting a dame bathcan also advance bird of Minerva to ante up you a visit . Of naturally , some birds work to scare owls off . John Jay , gasconade , New World blackbird , grackles , and starling on a regular basis mob owls , so take metre to scare these fowl off — take down starling nest box , and remove cracked maize and peanuts from your feeders , which are the preferred foods of these birds .
Owls roll in the hay to seat on poles and in leafless trees because they make it easier for them to tell apart fair game . Make certain your owls have slew of muscae volitantes to alight on . you may also draw these birds by restrict your out-of-door natural action , especially in the early morning and previous evening hours when they like to hunt . Together , all of these measures will help oneself your neighborhood owl sense decently at plate in your backyard .
All State Owls
Want to see what owl species are found in other states ? Here ’s our complete listing of hooter found in each state :
