• Anna
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      I have heard a Barred Owl in my backyard for a few years. I normally hear its signature call before I go to bed or early in the morning. A month or so ago I saw it up close on my backyard fence! It was beautiful and large. Owls are so cool!
    • Sophie
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      Wanted to see owls all my life, finally got my wish. Saw two barred owls in the past month, on two separate occasions, right next to busy walking paths in the city.
    • Irene
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      I had wanted to see an owl for years, and finally saw two barred owls within the same year, out in Central Massachusetts where my sister lives. The first one was in the backyard, it was lightly snowing, and I just by chance saw it flying by a window, then it settled on the top of a post-like tree, right in the middle of the yard, so I was able to watch it for a while. I think seeing that one helped me then spot the second one, later that same year, because the shape was more familiar - I was driving up the road near the house, and saw another barred owl sitting on the utility wires. That day it was also overcast, and lightly raining. I went home, got my sister, then we drove back out together and parked, and I took this photo. Screenshot 2023-02-14 at 8.43.59 PM
    • Melanie
      Participant
      Chirps: 12
      I certainly hear them fairly frequently where I live, but seldom see them. There is a state park near me where a little screech owl often hides in a hole high in a tree and if you really focus, you can just barely make him out. The camouflage is amazing!
    • Gail
      Participant
      Chirps: 5
      Yes, I have seen barred owls flying in New Hampshire. I have also seen a Great Horned owl because I was sitting with some friends on the top of a hill that must have been close to a nest because he/she was not happy and making it clear.  I would not have been able to identify the owl from seeing it at night flying but I did identify the characteristic hoot.
    • J.K.
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      Here is my most recent Owl sighting.. Great-horned Owl Sun City West, Desert Springs Golf Course Wednesday. January 4, 2023IMG_1893
      • Gail
        Participant
        Chirps: 5
        Beautiful.  I am not sure I would have even seen it.  Good job.
      • Audrey
        Participant
        Chirps: 2
        That's so beautiful. I always wonder how many times I walked near an owl and didn't see it because of its camouflage.
      • Laura
        Participant
        Chirps: 3
        Good eye, and very nice shot!
    • Li
      Participant
      Chirps: 34
      No. I really really really want to see one!!!!
    • Richard
      Participant
      Chirps: 2
      My wife and I along with two friends were visiting the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Preserve near Lawton, OK, several years ago. The WMWP is a beautiful area of open prairie, old mountains, buffalo, prairie dogs (and burrowing owls, of course) and longhorn cattle. While driving about 30 mph along a straight section of road in the Preserve, we noticed that a large owl (species unknown) was flying and keeping pace with us as we moved along. It was as if he was racing us. This went on for a mile or so. It was a beautiful day and a nice memory!
    • Lutz
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      I saw an Ashy-faced Owl in the Dominican republic. This was a wonderful experience as this bird is rare and endemic to Hispaniola. I love its blue coloured face. https://ebird.org/checklist/S97721191
    • Don
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      Once.  Working in the woods a long time ago.  A coworker spotted a large owl midflight and pointed it out.  Definetly an owl, as we could see the flat face in profile. Still searching for the next owl.
    • Brice
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      I volunteered and worked at an aviary where the raptors couldn’t return to the wild and was able to help care for Barred Owls, Barn Owls, Eastern-Screech Owls, and Great Horned Owls. I also had a Barred Owl that would hang out in my back yard a lot.
    • We have a resident Barred Owl who seems to play a game of "Where's Waldo" from time to time as I walk my dogs in the evening. The best place I have spotted "Waldo"  was on a speed limit sign within our neighborhood. I quickly snapped a picture of him before he flew off to catch a speeding mouse. :)
    • Dawn
      Participant
      Chirps: 2
      I've seen a couple on guided hikes but was hoping to be able to see them on my own. I envy people who have that knack for spotting them.
    • Debra
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      Have seen a couple of Horned Owls from afar really early one morning a while back. Have heard owls mostly when hiking through the woods or at night. I do currently volunteer at a State Park that has an aviary of various owls, falcons and hawks. These are raptors that have been injured and can no longer be free. They are well cared for and are taken to various outreach educational events. I get to clean their mews, feed and water them. We have a barred owl, 2 great horned owls, barn owl, and an eastern screech owl. They are so beautiful I love being up close to them. They have the most gorgeous expressive faces and I am honored to be able to care for them.
    • Liana
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      My husband and I saw a Barred Owl in Red Rocks Park, in Burlington Vermont a couple of weeks ago. We were out walking in the late afternoon in the woods. It flew onto a tree branch near the canopy top and stared at us for awhile. He seemed to be saying “who are you looking at”? We were surprised to see it in broad daylight. What a treat!
    • barred O 11-13-22 IMG_7230 Yesterday (11/14)this Barred Owl stayed in my yard all day! A group of crows harassed him/her, jays screamed, even a Cooper's Hawk showed up, but he seemed unimpressed. After he had been there for some time, Am. Goldfinches, House Finches, and Eurasian Tree Sparrows returned. St. Louis Co. MO
    • Michele
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      I started birding this year, in Maryland. My two goals were to see a Baltimore Oriole and an owl. I saw a barred owl while on a guided birdwalk at a local park in October! My new goal is to try and see one on my own - hoping this course will help!
    • I was at a bird sanctuary near St Louis and got to see a demonstration with a barn owl.  It was a gorgeous bird and I was able to get some really nice photos.  The sanctuary had a wonderful variety of birds, but the barn owl was my favorite. At home I often hear the great horned owls, but haven’t gotten to see one.
    • Carol
      Participant
      Chirps: 5
      This incident did not happen to me, but was recently reported in our local media. A homeowner in an upscale suburb of Victoria B.C. called police around 4 a.m. to report an intruder in their home.  When the police arrived, they located the suspect, a Barred Owl, perched on a couch.  After some coaxing, the "suspect" exited without further incident, through open patio doors. Although Barred Owls are a recent arrival to southwestern B.C. (around 1970), they are now a common resident in the area.  I have often seen them perched in trees during daylight hours, although they are mostly nocturnal.
    • zoe
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      a few years back I was lucky to see a barred owl that was hanging out in central park in new york city which definitely awakened my love for the birds. I've also encountered a few great horned owls around california, this August I woke up to a GHO hoo-ing in pebble beach and saw one perched outside my apartment in los angeles that same night! it felt like it was following me down the coast :-)
    • Brian
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      Hi! I have seen Barn Owls, Short Eared Owls, Burrowing Owls, Great Horned Owls, Spotted Owls, Screech Owls and Snowy Owl. I have heard Barred Owls, and Flammulated Owls. These sightings were in  California, Oregon, Washington, and Utah.
    • Laura
      Participant
      Chirps: 8
      Barn owl in Illinois Will County
    • Lechuzoologo
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      Luckily I've seen 8 species of owls so far (9 if you consider Magellanic Horned Owl separate from Great Horned Owl), and I would like to share one of my favourite pics I've taken. This is a Magellanic Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus magellanicus), from the Strobel Lake plateau in Patagonia, Argentina. It was a family of three individuals that lived in a lagoon that we visited to make a census of aquatic birds. There's no doubt that this was the most incredible thing we spotted!El tucu volador
    • Dave
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      Yes.  I have seen and/or heard:  Great Horned Owls, Great Gray Owl,  Barn Owls, Western & Eastern Screech Owls, Spotted Owl, Barred Owl, Northern Pygmy-Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Flammulated Owl and Burrowing Owls, all in the wild.  I have seen other owls in captivity only.  I did see a Sparx Owl, a hybrid between a Spotted Owl and a Barred Owl that was in captivity at Humboldt State University. I hear Great Horned Owls pretty frequently, and sometimes (some years) I have heard Western Screech Owls pretty frequently.  I usually hear a Barn Owl a couple times per year. I have built bird boxes for Western Screech Owls and Flammulated Owls.  I have had Screech Owls use several of my boxes and also nest in my attic. I helped relocate a Spotted Owl and reband it.  My grandkids got to select the bands, and handle the owl.  I have also held out a stick with a mouse on it for a Spotted Owl to come down and take it for food!
      • Laura
        Participant
        Chirps: 8
        I cannot beleive you saw a Sparx Owl, that must have been so cool
    • Kai
      Participant
      Chirps: 1
      In Thailand I have seen the Asian Barred Owlet, sitting exposed on a bare branch in daylight.  I have also seen a Brown Boobook during a night ‘safari’. It was sitting on a wire that spanned across the path we were taking.
      • Laura
        Participant
        Chirps: 8
        I am surprised that you were able to see the Asian Barred Owlet in the daylight that must have been a rare and exciting find for you and to see a brown boobook as well