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The most common owl in the Algonquin Highlands, the Barred Owl is large, stocky, and dark-eyed. They are grey-brown, with cross banding on the neck and breast, and streaks on the underside. Their wings are very large, with lacy-edged feathers that allow for slow and silent flight.
Resting during the day in dark groves of trees, they come out at night to hunt. Their large eyes are 100 times more sensitive than ours, giving them the ability to see clearly in what appears to us as complete darkness. The Barred Owl also has amazing hearing, aiding in the hunt for Deer Mice, their main source of food. Their ears are hidden under their facial feathers, each with a different location and shape. This allows them to hear sounds differently through each ear and, therefore, pinpoint the source with incredible accuracy. Since they hunt at night, their amazing hearing is put to use with the need to catch mice in total darkness, or hidden under a layer of snow. Their sense of hearing is so great they can hunt without using their eyes.
The Barred Owl uses a variety of cackles, barks and screams, as well as their loud “who cooks for you?”. They are heard much more than seen, and their calls are concentrated during the hours of night. Nesting in a hollow tree cavity, the Barred Owl lays between 2 and 4 white eggs.
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BARRED OWL
Strix varia
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