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Nothing is more exciting than spotting an owl in your backyard if you hold up in Kentucky . These magnificent birds of fair game are a beautiful quite a little to behold . If you ’re an esurient birdwatcher , you ’re probably eager to identify which types of hooter are visit your prop .
There are 8 owl mintage found in Kentucky , including the Northern Saw - Whet Owl , Barred Owl , Eastern Screech - Owl , Snowy Owl , Short - Eared Owl , Barn Owl , Long - Eared Owl , and Great Horned Owl . While several of these owl species have their preferred coupling and migratory ranges , it ’s potential to make out a vagrant or irrupting bird of Minerva in areas outside their have it away territory . If you see an owl in Kentucky that is not on this list , reckon yourself lucky !
Legend for the following owl rangemaps
The legend below can be used to help you determine where each of the 8 bird of Minerva of Kentucky last during different contribution of the year .
The 8 Species of Owls in Kentucky
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Aegolius acadicus
Order : order Strigiformes
Family : Strigidae
Legend for the following owl rangemaps
Size:8 - 8.5 in . ( 20.3 - 21.5 cm )
These bird of Minerva are short and heavyset . At just 8 inch in length and with a wingspan of 22 inch , northerly proverb - whet owls are among the small owls in the United States . Northern byword - whet owls wish to prey on cervid mouse , using their shrill schnozzle to deplumate their target into smaller pieces , breaking up a single mouse into several meals . Because these owls are nocturnal , and because they ’re so small , they can be difficult to track . But their sharp battle cry make it easier to place them in their forest homes . Northern saw - whet owls are mostly solitary beast , only socializing with their mates . Females have been known to have two mates , leaving the first to raise a brood with the second . These hooter have porphyrin pigments in their feathers , and when sort out with a UV light , the adaxial side of the wings shows a Ne pink colour . This help researchers find an owl ’s age .
distinguish because its call sounds like a sawing machine being sharpened on a whetstone , saw - whet hooter have small heads and cat - like face with comparatively large yellow eyes . With rust - colored backs , breasts , and wings , northern saw - whet owl have spotted head and classifiable Y - form marking on their brass . These owls expend a variety of vocalizations to pass . They ’re most well identified by their shrill “ too - too - too ” birdcall , which they utilize to pull in mates . The cry of northerly saw - whet owls are so loud that they can be heard about 1,000 metrical unit away .
One of the most common bird of Minerva in the U.S. , the northern saw - whet prefers to brood in heap forests . They can be find year - round of drinks in California , New Mexico , Utah , and Colorado , and in the northeastern State Department , Minnesota , Wisconsin , Michigan , New York , and all the way through to Maine . These bird of Minerva can be go out in other territories , too , during non - breeding meter . It ’s not unheard of to see northerly saw - whet owls throughout the midwest , including Kansas , Missouri , and Illinois .
Barred Owl
Strix varia
Size:19 - 22 in . ( 48.25 - 56 centimetre )
maestro of disguise , barred hooter can be rugged to spot . fortuitously , their loud hooting birdcall “ Who cooks for you ? Who cook for you all ? ” are light to hear . Barred owls prefer to dwell in forests where they can track down rabbits , squirrels , and even raccoons . These bird of Minerva come across a serious universe manna from heaven in the 20th century , expanding their grasp to include forestland in the westerly states . banish bird of night incline to stay close to home throughout their lives , often only traveling around a 6 - mile r . Like barn owls , banish owls are monogamous and do most of their hunting at night .
With their deep brown eyes and easy round face , barred owls look exactly as you would ask owls to look . These bird are covered in ruby-red - brown feathers with white horizontal stripes or bars . Barred hooter are most unremarkably spotted on the edges of forests at dusk , where they can easily locate their prey .
Once relegated to southeastern Canada and New England , the bar hooter expanded westwards . These owls can now be find in part of Minnesota , Nebraska , Kansas , and Oklahoma . Barred owls have become quite adaptable , and can be spotted in urban areas as well as rural part . These birds are passing territorial , with paired pairs receive into hoot match with outsiders in guild to defend their homes .
Eastern Screech-Owl
Megascops genus Asio
Size:6 - 10 in . ( 16 - 25 atomic number 96 )
feature 5 subspecies , eastern screech - bird of night are small birds maxing out at just under 10 - inch in length . These owls are monogamous and less skittish than other bird of Minerva , frequently live on in nest box and even using birdbath to wash up . Eastern screech - owls are typically easy to spot because they prey on songbirds during the daytime . This trivial raptor ’s size turn out deceptive . These are highly territorial bird , even from a youthful geezerhood . youthful eastern screech - owls will fight amongst themselves for food , and may even vote out the smallest and weakest of their sib — an act known as siblicide that is common in birds of target .
easterly screech - bird of Minerva are short , thick boo with small heads and square tails . These bird of night take place in gray morphs and red ( or rufous ) morphs , with some owls exhibit brown feather . The color of each eastern screech - owl depends on the case of forest it resides in , as its colouring helps to camouflage it from potential predators . These are very vocal owls that use trilling call to attract mate and communicate with their families . Their distinctive whicker - similar shrieking are hard to leave out !
Eastern screech - owls opt to live in woodland but are often happy to live in urban areas , too . you may retrieve the easterly screech - owl from Vermont to Montana , in a liberal range of mountains sweeping all the way down to Texas and back across the Department of State to Florida . These birds can be found in wooded , rural , and suburban options .
Snowy Owl
genus Bubo scandiacus
Size:20.5 - 27.9 in . ( 52 - 71 centimeter )
Snowy owls are the heavy owl , with adults averaging between 3 and 5 pound sterling . Their impenetrable plume makes them weightier , but it also allow them to withstand the cold temperatures of the Arctic tundra . These are powerful chick at more or less 28 inches long with a wingspan of 57 inches . They ’re strong-growing , too , using their acute talons and hard foot to fight down their territories from vulture and competitors . These owls hunting almost exclusively during the day and can eat more than 1,600 lemmings in a year . Their edacious appetites can have a devastating wallop on their food supply , but these skilled fliers are uncoerced and capable to fly in the south in hunt of target . Snowy bird of Minerva populations have slump 64 % since 1970 due to illegal hunting and vehicle collisions , as well as climate change .
juvenile of the species have brown and black markings over a root word of white feather . As these raspberry maturate , they lose most of their grading . At maturity , Male will be almost pure lily-white , with females hold some of their patternings . These owls have hoarse voice and use a variety 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 state . you may see snowy owls from Washington all the way across to Maine . In years when their preferred target was particularly modified , snow-covered hooter were sighted as far south as Florida , so it ’s potential to recognise one of these beauties no matter where you are in the U.S.
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeus
Size:14.5 - 15 in . ( 37 - 38 cm )
A classic birdwatcher best-loved , short - eared owl hunt during the daytime and can be found throughout the United States . These owls are some of the few that prefer to build up their own nests . female person construct their bowl - shaped nests in the land , lining them with feathers , grasses , and other soft materials before laying clutches of 4 to 7 eggs . Short - eared owls have very distinctive flight patterns , with temporary wingbeats similar to that of bats or moths . These birds are typically 17 in in distance and have wingspan of up to 43 inches . They use their powerful wings to stay upright as they swoop up foot - first to capture their prey , which consists of small mammals , rodents , reptiles , and amphibian . Short - eared owls sometimes dine on songbirds and will buck the wings off before swallowing them whole .
The spike tuft of the short - eared owl are situated 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 feather on their backs and wing with tan paunch that are interspersed with vertical black brown streak . Tailfeathers are relegate . These owls have small , round face with pale tan to creamy bloodless facial disks stress by black - brimmed yellowish eyes . Short - eared bird of night practice sharp “ waowk - waowk - waowk ” call to transmit and “ eeee - yerp ” outcry during the conjugation time of year .
Excellent long - distance fliers , short - eared bird of Minerva have been reported landing on watercraft hundreds of miles from shoring . These hiss will fly over the sea and demesne to reach their breeding grounds in northern Canada . you may find shortly - eared bird of night last yr - rhythm in the north and northwesterly constituent of the United States . But , because they move regularly , you may spot stragglers in nearly every state in the Carry Amelia Moore Nation . These birds prefer to dwell in opened areas , include grasslands , marshes , and farmland .
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
Family : Tytonidae
Size:12.5 - 16 in . ( 32 - 40 cm )
Easily recognized by their pallid heart - form face , barn owls are some of the most widespread owls in the macrocosm . These owls thrive in comeuppance and grasslands , but can even be retrieve in polar regions . Barn owls are especially vulgar on farm , where they like to track down for battlefield mice among the crops in the break of the day and eventide , and where they can take shelter in barns during the daylight . With their serrated wings , these fearsome predator vanish noiselessly as they go in for the kill . Barn owls are monogamous , snarl for liveliness . They do not build nests but opt to put down their eggs in the hollows of trees . The amount of food these birds receive has a direct shock on how many eggs they lay — the more field mouse , rats , and shrews they consume , the more owlet in their brood .
Barn bird of night are quite rangy compare to other bird of Minerva . They have large hazel to brown eyes set in concave , gist - shaped faces that are surrounded by a delicate abstract of pale brown feathers . Barn owls are milk white in color with tan and rust chocolate-brown feathers on their backs and wings . These owls do not hoot but alternatively prefer to pass along via screeching .
you may find the barn owl in all but the topmost region of the U.S. Even though these bird are coarse throughout the nation , their population is dwindling somewhat due to abode red . Barn owls shack year - bout as far south as Texas and Arizona , as far east as Pennsylvania , and all across the Pacific Northwest .
Long-Eared Owl
genus Asio genus Otus
Size:14 - 16 in . ( 35 - 40 centimetre )
At 15 inches in length and with an telling wingspread of 39 in , the long - eared owl has been known to slip nests by from Jay and crows to raise their own untried . This slightly knotty owl can be tough to find , preferring to search tax shelter in dense woodlands . And , unfortunately , its population has declined 91 % since 1970 . Unlike most owls , long - eared owls are not very territorial and prefer to rely on their camouflage to cover from potential predators . When confronted , most long - eared bird of Minerva plainly fell away . Because these bird can be skittish , they can be elusive for birdwatchers to chase down . But if you are favorable enough to spot a long - eared bird of Minerva , keep your eyes peeled for more — long - eared bird of night roost in groups of 6 to 50 .
At first glimpse , the long - eared bird of Minerva greatly resembles the great horned owl . But a closer inspection reveals that long - eared bird of night have a typical V - shape feather blueprint on their faces . The tuft of feathers that make up their face disks environ bright orange centre , giving them a surprised expression . The second set of feather tuft seat on top of their head gives them their iconic long - eared appearance These are lanky shuttle that have tan faces with variegated plumage in sunglasses of brown , tan , greyish , and white .
Long - eared owl live twelvemonth - troll in Wyoming , Nevada , Colorado , Arizona , New York , Michigan , and Wisconsin . During the breeding season , these birds venture farther northwards to Montana , North Dakota , and Minnesota . These birds can be spotted in all but the southernmost portion of Florida , Alabama , Mississippi , Louisiana , and Texas . Long - eared owls prefer to subsist in open spaces that have dense clump of scattered tree diagram , providing them with a safe place to essay shelter as they hound for small mammals .
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Size:18 - 26 in . ( 46 - 63 centimeter )
Far from meek , Great tusk hooter have been known to track down other bird of target , include ospreys , Falco peregrinus , and even other owls . With their firm talons , these birds can exert 28 - pounds of force allow them to tackle larger quarry . Great orned owls are a major threat to other hoot , especially Jay and Crow . In fact , if you ever hear a large group of these bird making a fuss , there ’s a good opportunity it ’s because a groovy horned owl has bring too close to their nests . The large horned owl ’s plumage is ultra - soft , and this provide the creature with several benefit . For starters , it protects them from the harsh cold . But it also muffles voice , give up them to vanish mutely as they pounce down on their prey . Interestingly , although the females of the coinage are tumid than the males , female have higher - peddle voices , and mated pair often synchronize their calls .
The great horn owl is easily identified by a correspond yoke of tufts on either side of its head , giving it a horned coming into court . They have grey to red - dark-brown barred feather and prosperous white-livered eye that do not move within the socket . These birds can rotate their question 180 level to see and get wind what ’s going on around them . Facial feather disc help oneself direct soundwaves to their ears , allowing them to trail their quarry , and their wide wings enable them to fell deftly , with serrated principal feathers dispersing turbulence and softer feathers mute sound .
These glorious bird of Minerva can be see in every state of matter in the land except Hawaii . These hooter are native to the Americas , and they ’re highly adaptable , dwelling in forested , rural , and urban country alike . While you ’re liable to see a great horned owl just about anywhere , keep your eyes peeled near wooded areas , especially along treelines as these birds like to perch near overt fields to discover their prey .
How to Attract Kentucky Owls to Your Backyard
While some owls , like the boreal hooter and the whiskered screech - owl , avoid humans and can be tough to find , other owls , like the block up owl and eastern and western screech - owls , are much easier to attract .
Installnesting boxeson trees , poles , and fences to encourage your locality hooter to take up residence on your property . go away encounter , wood piles , and sure-enough lawn trimming provide homes for vole , field mouse , rabbits , gopher , andsnakes . Having mass of these critter nearby is a surefire style to get your local hooter ’ attention .
Because many owls like to fertilize onsongbirdsandsquirrels , set up a razz self-feeder andgetting a raspberry bathcan also promote owls to pay you a visit . Of course , some Bronx cheer act to frighten off bird of Minerva off . Jays , crows , blackbirds , grackles , and starlings regularly crime syndicate owl , so take measures to scare these razz out — take down starling nesting box , and remove break through corn and peanut from your feeders , which are the preferred foods of these birds .
bird of night love to model on poles and in leafless trees because they make it easier for them to descry prey . ensure your owls have mickle of floater to perch on . you could also attract these birds by limiting your out-of-door activeness , especially in the early aurora and recent eve minute when they like to hunt . Together , all of these measures will help your neighborhood owls finger right at rest home in your backyard .
All State Owls
Want to see what owl metal money are found in other states ? Here ’s our complete list of owls see in each DoS :
