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Nothing is more exciting than discern an hooter in your backyard if you dwell in West Virginia . These magnificent chick of prey are a beautiful sight to behold . If you ’re an zealous birdwatcher , you ’re probably eager to key which types of owls are visiting your property .
There are 8 owl species plant in West Virginia , including the Great Horned Owl , forgetful - eared Owl , easterly - screech Owl , Barn Owl , Barred Owl , Long - eared Owl , Northern Saw - whet Owl , and Snowy Owl . While several of these owl metal money have their favourite mating and migratory ranges , it ’s possible to descry a vagrant or irrupting hooter in areas outside their know territories . If you see an bird of Minerva in West Virginia that is not on this tilt , consider yourself lucky!v
Legend for the following owl rangemaps
The legend below can be used to facilitate you determine where each of the 8 owls of West Virginia lives during different part of the year .
The 8 Species of Owls in West Virginia
Great Horned Owl
genus Bubo virginianus
Order : Strigiformes
Family : Strigidae
Legend for the following owl rangemaps
Size:18 - 26 in . ( 46 - 63 cm )
Far from meek , Great Horned owls have been screw to hunt other birds of target , include ospreys , peregrine falcon , and even other owls . With their strong talons , these Bronx cheer can exert 28 - pounds of force allowing them to take on tumid target . groovy orned bird of Minerva are a major scourge to other birds , specially jay and crows . In fact , if you ever hear a large group of these birds make a fuss , there ’s a good hazard it ’s because a outstanding tusk owl has gotten too close to their nest . The corking horned owl ’s plumage is radical - gentle , and this leave the beast with several benefits . For starter , it protect them from the harsh coldness . But it also muffles sound , allowing them to fly wordlessly as they swoop up down on their fair game . Interestingly , although the females of the specie are expectant than the male , females have higher - pitched spokesperson , and couple pairs often synchronize their calls .
The gravid horned bird of Minerva is well identified by a matching pair of tuft on either side of its foreland , giving it a horn coming into court . They have gray to cerise - dark-brown debar plumage and gold yellow eyes that do not move within the socket . These birds can rotate their forefront 180 academic degree to see and hear what ’s going on around them . Facial plume disk help direct soundwaves to their ear , allowing them to track their prey , and their blanket wing enable them to fly dexterously , with serrate master plumage disperse turbulence and softer feathering stifle speech sound .
These brilliant hooter can be notice in every DoS in the nation except Hawaii . These owls are native to the Americas , and they ’re extremely adaptable , dwelling in forested , rural , and urban areas likewise . While you ’re liable to see a great horned bird of Minerva just about anywhere , keep your eyes peeled near wooded expanse , especially along treelines as these birds care to perch near open W. C. Fields to find their prey .
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeus
Size:14.5 - 15 in . ( 37 - 38 centimeter )
A authoritative birdwatcher favorite , little - eared bird of night hunt during the daylight and can be found throughout the United States . These owl are some of the few that prefer to build their own nest . Females retrace their bowl - shaped nests in the ground , draw them with feathers , grass , and other soft fabric before laying clutch bag of 4 to 7 eggs . shortly - eared owls have very typical flying patterns , with irregular wingbeats interchangeable to that of squash racket or moth . These razzing are typically 17 column inch in length and have wingspans of up to 43 inches . They use their powerful wing to outride erect as they pounce groundwork - first to captivate their prey , which consists of modest mammals , gnawer , reptiles , and amphibians . Short - eared owls sometimes dine on songster and will tear the wings off before withdraw them whole .
The auricle tussock of the shortly - eared owl are situate towards the center of their heads , and they ’re so short that sometimes they may not be seeable at all . Short - eared owls have tawny feather on their backs and wings with tan bellies that are interspersed with vertical blue brown streaks . Tailfeathers are barred . These owls have little , round faces with pale tan to creamy white facial record accent by black - brim yellow eyes . Short - eared owls apply sharp “ waowk - waowk - waowk ” call to pass on and “ eeee - yerp ” shout out during the sexual union season .
Excellent tenacious - aloofness airman , shortly - eared bird of night have been reported landing on watercraft one C of miles from shore . These birds will flee over the ocean and land to reach their breeding ground in northerly Canada . you may rule curtly - eared bird of Minerva be class - rung in the Frederick North and northwesterly portions of the United States . But , because they travel regularly , you could recognize stragglers in nearly every country in the nation . These hoot prefer to dwell in open areas , including grassland , Marsh , and farmland .
Eastern Screech-Owl
Megascops genus Asio
Size:6 - 10 in . ( 16 - 25 cm )
Featuring 5 subspecies , eastern screech - owl are modest doll maxing out at just under 10 - in in length . These owls are monogamous and less skittish than other owls , frequently living in nuzzle boxes and even using birdbaths to dampen up . Eastern screech - owls are typically easy to spot because they feed on songbirds during the daytime . This small bird of prey ’s size examine deceptive . These are extremely territorial birds , even from a unseasoned years . Young eastern screech - owls will fight amongst themselves for intellectual nourishment , and may even pour down the diminished and weak of their siblings — an enactment screw as siblicide that is plebeian in birds of prey .
easterly scream - owls are light , heavyset bird with small heads and square tail end . These owls occur in gray morphs and ruby-red ( or rufous ) morphs , with some owl exhibiting chocolate-brown feather . The colouration of each eastern screech - owl look on the eccentric of forest it resides in , as its coloring helps to camouflage it from potential predator . These are very vocal hooter that expend trilling calls to attract checkmate and pass with their families . Their classifiable whicker - like screeches are backbreaking to miss !
easterly screech - hooter prefer to live in forests but are often glad to hold out in urban areas , too . you’re able to line up the eastern scream - owl from Vermont to Montana , in a broad kitchen stove sweeping all the way down to Texas and back across the states to Florida . These birds can be found in wooded , rural , and suburban options .
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
Family : Tytonidae
Size:12.5 - 16 in . ( 32 - 40 cm )
Easily recognize by their pale spirit - shaped typeface , barn owls are some of the most widespread owls in the reality . These owls flourish in comeuppance and grassland , but can even be found in pivotal regions . Barn owls are especially common on farms , where they care to hunt for field mouse among the crop in the dawn and evening , and where they can take shelter in barn during the daylight . With their serrate wings , these fearsome marauder vanish noiselessly as they go in for the kill . Barn owls are monogamous , mating for life . They do not work up nests but prefer to position their orchis in the hollow of trees . The amount of nutrient these birds receive has a direct impact on how many eggs they set — the more voles , rats , and shrews they consume , the more owlets in their brood .
Barn bird of Minerva are quite lanky compare to other bird of Minerva . They have gravid hazelnut to brown eyes determine in concave , heart - determine nerve that are beleaguer by a delicate outline of pallid brownish feather . Barn owls are milk white in color with tan and rust brown feathers on their backs and wings . These owl do not hoot but alternatively prefer to communicate via screeches .
you could find the b bird of night in all but the uppermost region of the U.S. Even though these snort are common throughout the state , their universe is dwindling somewhat due to habitation loss . Barn owl reside year - round as far south as Texas and Arizona , as far east as Pennsylvania , and all across the Pacific Northwest .
Barred Owl
Strix varia
Size:19 - 22 in . ( 48.25 - 56 cm )
master of disguise , barred owls can be tough to spot . Fortunately , their garish hooting calls “ Who manipulate for you ? Who cooks for you all ? ” are easy to hear . barricade owls prefer to populate in forests where they can trail down rabbits , squirrels , and even raccoons . These owls saw a serious universe gravy in the 20th century , expanding their cooking stove to include forestland in the westerly states . banish owls incline to bide closely to home throughout their lives , often only journey around a 6 - mile radius . Like barn bird of Minerva , bar bird of Minerva are monogamous and do most of their hunting at night .
With their inscrutable brown center and gentle round faces , barred owls look exactly as you would look owls to look . These bird are cut across in reddened - brown feathers with white horizontal stripes or bars . barricade owl are most commonly spot on the edges of forests at dusk , where they can easily locate their prey .
Once relegated to southeastern Canada and New England , the barred owl expanded westward . These owls can now be found in parts of Minnesota , Nebraska , Kansas , and Oklahoma . Barred hooter have become quite adaptable , and can be blob in urban areas as well as rural regions . These razzing are passing territorial , with paired twain getting into hooting match with outsider for defend their homes .
Long-Eared Owl
genus Asio otus
Size:14 - 16 in . ( 35 - 40 centimeter )
At 15 inches in length and with an telling wingspread of 39 inch , the long - eared owl has been know to steal nest away from jays and crows to raise their own young . This somewhat elusive owl can be sturdy to find , prefer to seek tax shelter in dense woodlands . And , unfortunately , its universe has correct 91 % since 1970 . Unlike most owl , long - eared owls are not very territorial and prefer to trust on their disguise to hide from potential predators . When face , most long - eared owls merely fly aside . Because these shuttle can be flighty , they can be toughened for birdwatchers to get over down . But if you are golden enough to spot a long - eared owl , keep your eye peeled for more — long - eared owls roost in group of 6 to 50 .
At first glimpse , the long - eared bird of Minerva greatly resembles the capital horned owl . But a closer inspection reveals that long - eared owls have a distinctive V - shaped feather convention on their face . The tufts of feathers that make up their face disks surround bright orangish eyes , give them a surprised expression . The 2d set of feather tufts sitting on top of their chief gives them their iconic long - eared appearance These are gangling birds that have tan faces with vary plume in tint of brown , tan , gray , and white .
Long - eared owls live year - round in Wyoming , Nevada , Colorado , Arizona , New York , Michigan , and Wisconsin . During the breeding time of year , these bird guess far north 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 live in receptive spaces that have dense clusters of scattered tree , providing them with a safe place to seek shelter as they hunt for small mammal .
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Aegolius acadicus
Size:8 - 8.5 in . ( 20.3 - 21.5 cm )
These owls are short and thickset . At just 8 inch in length and with a wingspread of 22 column inch , northerly proverb - whet owls are among the smallest owls in the United States . Northern saw - whet owl care to raven on deer mice , using their sharp beaks to tear their fair game into smaller pieces , relegate up a single black eye into several meal . Because these bird of night are nocturnal , and because they ’re so small , they can be difficult to track . But their sharp yell make it easier to situate them in their wood home . northerly saw - whet bird of night are mostly solitary creature , only socializing with their Ilex paraguariensis . Females have been known to have two mates , leaving the first to evoke a brood with the second . These owls have porphyrin pigments in their plume , and when illuminated with a ultraviolet radiation light , the adaxial side of the wings shows a neon pink color . This helps researchers square off an hooter ’s age .
Named because its call sounds like a saw being sharpen on a whetstone , saw - whet owls have minuscule heads and CT - corresponding facial expression with relatively gravid yellow eye . With rust - color backs , breasts , and wings , northerly byword - whet owls have discern heads and distinctive Y - shaped markings on their faces . These owls practice a motley of vocalizations to communicate . They ’re most easily identified by their shrill “ too - too - too ” calls , which they use to attract mates . The cry of northerly proverb - whet owls are so loud that they can be heard about 1,000 feet aside .
One of the most common owls in the U.S. , the northern proverb - whet prefers to populate in mount woods . They can be found year - round in California , New Mexico , Utah , and Colorado , and in the northeastern states , Minnesota , Wisconsin , Michigan , New York , and all the way through to Maine . These owls can be see in other territories , too , during non - breeding times . It ’s not unheard of to see northerly saw - whet owls throughout the midwestern United States , include Kansas , Missouri , and Illinois .
Snowy Owl
Bubo scandiacus
Size:20.5 - 27.9 in . ( 52 - 71 cm )
Snowy owls are the heaviest owls , with adults averaging between 3 and 5 pounds . Their dense plume makes them weightier , but it also allows them to withstand the cold-blooded temperature of the Arctic tundra . These are brawny birds at roughly 28 inches long with a wingspread of 57 column inch . They ’re strong-growing , too , using their sharp talons and strong foot to fight back their territories from vulture and competitors . These owls James Henry Leigh Hunt almost exclusively during the daytime and can wipe out more than 1,600 lemmings in a twelvemonth . Their voracious appetency can have a devastating wallop on their food supply , but these skilled throwaway are willing and capable to fly south in search of target . Snowy hooter populations have decline 64 % since 1970 due to illegal search and vehicle collisions , as well as climate change .
Juveniles of the species have brown and inglorious markings over a base of snowy plumage . As these birds age , they lose most of their markings . At maturity , male person will be almost pure whitened , with female person retaining some of their patternings . These owls have gruff voices and use a variety of calls , the most frequent of which is a rhythmic “ krooh - krooh - krooh - krooh ” .
Snowy owls do n’t last in the United States all year long , however , they do winter in the northern states . you may see snowy owls from Washington all the means across to Maine . In years when their preferred fair game was specially special , snowy owls were sighted as far south as Florida , so it ’s potential to espy one of these beauties no matter where you are in the U.S.
How to Attract West Virginia Owls to Your Backyard
While some owls , like the boreal bird of Minerva and the whiskered screech - bird of night , void human beings and can be tough to find , other bird of Minerva , like the block bird of night and eastern and western screech - hooter , are much easy to attract .
Installnesting boxeson tree , poles , and fences to promote your vicinity hooter to take up hall on your dimension . Leaving brush , wood slews , and old lawn trimmings provides homes for vole , field shiner , coney , gopher , andsnakes . Having plenty of these critters nearby is a surefire way to get your local owls ’ aid .
Because many owls like to feast onsongbirdsandsquirrels , setting up a bird feeder andgetting a chick bathcan also boost owls to pay you a visit . Of course , some birds bring to frighten off bird of Minerva off . Jays , crows , blackbirds , grackles , and starling on a regular basis mob owls , so take quantity to scare away these birds by — take down starling snuggle boxes , and remove cracked corn and peanut from your feeders , which are the preferred foods of these hoot .
bird of night love to sit on poles and in leafless trees because they make it easy for them to spot fair game . Make certain your owls have tidy sum of spots to perch on . you could also draw these boo by limit your outdoor activity , especially in the early morn and late even hours when they like to hunt . Together , all of these measures will avail your vicinity owls feel right at house in your backyard .
All State Owls
need to see what bird of Minerva specie are found in other states ? Here ’s our complete listing of owl rule in each state of matter :
