By Steve Roark
Volunteer, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

When I was a kid in the 1970s, seeing a deer was a rare thing, so much so that when I did see one it was like I was witnessing wilderness— ‘feeling wildness’ as I call it. These days, deer populations are so high that I see them almost daily on the farm, so that special feeling has faded into commonplace. But it still comes out when I see, or more likely, hear, owls. I get chill bumps every time, and it’s a very satisfying feeling.

The most common owl that I encounter locally is the barred owl (Strix varia) but have only seen them a handful of times. But I know they visit my woods regularly by hearing their easy to recognize eight- or nine-note call that is remembered by the phrase “who cooks for you, who cooks for you-all!” Often times I will hear two of them calling from a distance, I assume trash talking each other and announcing territorial boundaries.

The barred owl is easy to identify from other owls in our area by their chunky brown and white striped body that lacks the pointy ear tufts of the larger horned owl. The barred is the only owl with brown eyes (everybody else has yellow ones). Their name comes from the brown horizonal streaks on its head and upper chest. The face is rather pale and flat, with dark rings encircling the eyes.
The barred owl’s preferred habitat is a mature forest with a clean understory to be able to hunt without dodging brush. Like all owls, it is a raptor, with mice and other rodents being a favorite prey. They also feed on other small mammals like squirrels and voles, as well as birds, frogs and salamanders. While they most often hunt at night, favoring dawn and dusk, they can be found hunting during daylight hours. Their hunting routine involves waiting on a perch for supper to show up, and then swooping down low for the kill, depending on keen hearing and good night vision to locate the target prey. Their feathers are designed for quiet flight and added stealth.

Making baby barred owls starts with a courtship ritual of bobbing and bowing heads and raising wings at each other. If all goes well, the female makes a nest in a hollow tree or perhaps an old hawk nest, and lays an average of three eggs and incubates them for a month. The male brings food for her during this time and continues to do so after the young hatch. They grow rapidly and are ready for first flight in about six weeks. Prior to flying, the owlets climb around on the tree by gripping the bark with their talons and bill—something comical to see.

During the spring breeding season male turkeys are hyped up with hormones and very edgy. If they aren’t gobbling on their own, hunters can make males (jakes) “shock gobble” by mimicking a barred owl’s call and thus figure out their location.

Surprisingly, the most serious predatory threat to barred owls is the great horned owl, a slightly larger and more aggressive bird. When the horned owls move into an area, the barred moves out. Owls are very effective at keeping rodent populations down, so having them around is a good thing. They can be encouraged by setting up nesting boxes, and building plans are easy to find online or through your state wildlife agency. It’s easy to identify owls by their calls, so go to a bird website to listen and learn them.