Raptor, Inc. is trying to determine how much natural habitat this species needs to survive and reproduce in suburban areas around Cincinnati (Hamilton, Clermont, and southern Warren counties).  We will only be measuring habitat features at nest sites, primarily using GIS and digital databases.

Barred Owls nest in natural cavities in large trees, in broken-off trees (snags) and occasionally in abandoned hawks’ nests.  They are much less common than the similar-sized Great Horned Owls and typically prefer more wooded areas than do Horned Owls.  The Barred Owl’s call is a “Whoo whoo whoo whoooo” that sounds like “Who cooks for you?”  Barred Owls generally lay their eggs in March and young hatch in April.  As with most owls, the young leave the nest cavity before they can fly; they then spend the next few weeks as “branchers,” hopping from branch to branch in the tree near their nest.

Please report known nest sites and sites where fledged, pre-flying young (branchers) were observed to:

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!