Hooting it Up with New Hampshire's Most Common Owl: The Barred Owl

On a late spring evening, outside my house, the night erupts. Cackles, like monkeys, fill the air. Immediately, my dogs are growling, lips curled, hackles raised. It is a wild ruckus, and perhaps it should scare me, but instead, I am elated. In the oaks surrounding my little home on the outskirts of Hancock, I recognize the sound for what it is. Hope! Barred owls are hooting it up, and I cannot help myself. I step outside into the cool spring night to get a little closer to it all. From suburban neighborhoods and city parks to country lanes and rural wetlands, listen for their eight- to nine-hoot call. Through the darkness, their rhythmic song sounds like they are asking, "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?" Often heard this time of the year when they are courting, mating and raising a nest full of fluffy owlets, the barred owl is New Hampshire's most widespread owl. Mostly nocturnal, it is not unusual to catch a glimpse of this beauty during daylight hours, especially on overcast days, when they might perch in plain sight. With its brown-and-white feathers and big, dark eyes, this owl is a masterclass in camouflage, blending into its forested surroundings. The streaky coloration mimics both the texture and patterns of bark. It is possible to walk right by a tree in the middle of daylight, where one of these cryptic birds is roosting, and you might never even see it. I like to think of this often, when I'm roaming around the woods. Like most owls, the barred owl is a nocturnal flying rodent trap. Those brown and white feathers are not only perfect camouflage, but they are also the owl's invisibility cloak. Velvety soft and ruffled-edged feathers absorb the sound of air passing through their plumage, making them stealth hunters in the night. Unsuspecting mice and voles never even hear it coming before it is too late, and they are snatched up with powerful, razor-sharp talons and fed to waiting hatchlings. Not a bird to spend much time on nest building, barred owls most often nest in large, older trees with cavities or abandoned stick nests built by other birds such as hawks, crows, and ravens. Sometimes they will repurpose a squirrel's nest, removing the top and using the leafy remains for their young. Their nests are humble affairs, with a few fresh sprigs from an evergreen, some lichen, and a splash of feathers. As you read this, most likely, somewhere close to you, a pair of barred owls is incubating their clutch of one to five pure white eggs. It takes a true partnership to tend to the eggs and then the young. Guarded and cared for by the female, primarily, the male is on take-out dinner duty, bringing back tasty meals such as snake, squirrel, chipmunk, mice, and small birds. Together, they fiercely defend their nest from aerial raiders such as the great horned owl and ravens, as well as tree-climbing predators, like raccoons and weasels. The pair vocalizes often through hoots, cackles, and gurgling duets. These calls keep them connected and also communicate territorial information to other nearby barred owls. After 28 to 33 days, the eggs hatch, and downy-feathered, helpless owlets tumble into the world. The female tends to them, protecting them from predation and the cool temperatures of early spring, but as the chicks grow, she leaves the nest for longer and longer periods, helping the male find food to bring back to their hungry babes. By mid-summer, the young owls prepare to fledge, practicing flapping their wings, hopping from branch to branch, and then eventually flying. Listen for their squeaky begging calls in the late August evening. Similar to our own fledgling children, these juvenile owls plead to their parents for an easy meal, as they struggle to learn to hunt on their own. Living among barred owls is a reminder of the wild world right out our door. Their hoots fill up our quiet nights and allow us to imagine that nearby, right near our home, there is another home happening. A barebones nest, packed full of soft owlets, a parent's hope for the future.