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Nothing is more exciting than spotting an owl in your backyard if you survive in Texas . These brilliant birds of prey are a beautiful sight to behold . If you ’re an avid birdwatcher , you ’re probably eager to name which types of owls are visiting your property .
There are 12 owl species find in Texas , including the Elf Owl , Great Horned Owl , Flammulated Owl , Ferruginous Pygmy - Owl , Long - eared Owl , Short - eared Owl , Western Screech - Owl , Barn Owl , Barred Owl , Eastern Screech - Owl , Burrowing Owl , and Northern Saw - Whet Owl . While several of these owl coinage have their favorite mating and migratory chain of mountains , it ’s potential to spot a vagrant or irrupting owl in areas outside their known territory . If you see an bird of night in Texas that is not on this lean , look at yourself golden !
Legend for the following owl rangemaps
The legend below can be used to help you determine where each of the 12 bird of night of Texas lives during different parts of the year .
The 12 Species of Owls in Texas
Elf Owl
Micrathene whitneyi
Order : order Strigiformes
Family : Strigidae
Legend for the following owl rangemaps
Size:5.25 - 5.75 in . ( 13.3 -14.5 cm )
One of the pocket-sized owl in the earthly concern , the elf owl is less than 6 inches in length and only weighs about 45 grams . Because of their lowly size , the elf hooter mostly feed on worm and small reptilian like lizard . Elf bird of night make their nest in trees , and the nests oft become overrun with ants , who like to feed on the resident elf owl ’s remnant . But , cleverly , these owls have been known to wreak small thread snakes back to their nests , permit the reptiles to feed on the plaguey insect . Mated elf owl pairs often gang up on local predators to protect their nests , a mental process called mobbing . It ’s not rare to see group of these niggling owls attacking squirrel , songbirds , and prominent hooter to keep their young rubber .
Elf bird of Minerva are smaller than a smartphone , with brown plumage stress with white and orangish spots . These birds have classifiable yipping phone call that make them sound like small dogs or pup . Elf bird of night prefer to hunt at nighttime and wish to hang around brilliant ignitor , which attract insects . They make their homes in the hollowed - out cacti and scouring brush of the desert .
Even though these owls do not make the U.S. their lasting residence , preferring to live in Mexico , they do transmigrate to the southwest during the breeding season . If you endure in southern California , Arizona , New Mexico , or west Texas , keep your optic peel off for these tiny raptor in the bounce and summertime month .
Great Horned Owl
genus Bubo virginianus
Size:18 - 26 in . ( 46 - 63 curium )
Far from meek , Great Horned owls have been known to hunt other birds of prey , include ospreys , Falco peregrinus , and even other bird of night . With their strong talons , these bird can exercise 28 - pounds of force allowing them to harness large quarry . Great orned owls are a major threat to other razzing , particularly jay and Crow . In fact , if you ever get a line a large mathematical group of these birds making a fuss , there ’s a good probability it ’s because a great horned owl has gravel too close to their nests . The corking tusk owl ’s plume is extremist - soft , and this provides the animals with several benefits . For starter , it protects them from the abrasive coldness . But it also muffles sound , let them to fly mutely as they pounce down on their fair game . Interestingly , although the female of the mintage are larger than the male , female have higher - pitched voices , and mated duad often synchronise their calls .
The great tusk owl is easily key out by a matching pair of tussock on either side of its head , giving it a horn appearance . They have gray to red - chocolate-brown barred plume and golden yellow optic that do not move within the sockets . These birds can splay their heads 180 degrees to see and hear what ’s going on around them . Facial feather magnetic disc help direct soundwaves to their ears , allowing them to pass over their fair game , and their encompassing wing enable them to fly deftly , with serrate primary plume dot turbulence and soft feathers muffling sound .
These brilliant bird of Minerva can be found in every state in the Carry Amelia Moore Nation except Hawaii . These hooter are aboriginal to the Americas , and they ’re highly adaptable , dwelling in forested , rural , and urban areas likewise . While you ’re liable to see a capital tusk bird of night just about anywhere , keep your eyes peeled near wooded area , especially along treelines as these birds like to perch near open fields to find their prey .
Flammulated Owl
Psiloscops flammeolus
Size:6 - 6.5 in . ( 15 - 17 cm )
Though these owls only assess around 6 inches in distance , they have a large wingspan for their sizing , mensurate 14 - inches from wingtip to wingtip . Their long , potent wing enable them to fly quickly between the treetops of their forest homes . These owls deplete microbe almost exclusively , opt moths and butterflies above other insects . In fact , this proclivity for insects may account for why these owls migrate to the south during the winter month . Flammulated owls are monogamous , choose one married person for life . paired pairs bring up 2 to 4 owlet at a time in nest that are not line with any kind of bedding material . Unlike most bird of Minerva , who prefer to keep to themselves , flammulated owls organize open colonies — probably for protection since they ’re so little .
boast feathers in shades of gray and brown with rust ruddy confidential information along its wings , and typical flame - corresponding marking on its cheek ( hence its name ) , this bird of Minerva is incredibly well - camouflaged . The best way to bump a flammulated bird of Minerva is by listening to its call . The flammulated hooter has a much small - pitch call than you would expect from such a small owl . This acts as a defense mechanism , play tricks potential predators into thinking they ’re much bighearted than they really are .
When it comes to tracking down flammulated bird of night , birdwatchers have their study cut out for them . Because these owls prefer to spend their time perched on the summit of tall conifers look for for bugs , they can be difficult to find . These birds transmigrate through west Texas and New Mexico and have a scattered breeding reach that includes parts of California , Oregon , Washington , Idaho , Nevada , Utah , and Colorado , where they live from tardy April or former May to August .
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium brasilianum
Size:6.75 – 7.5 in ( 17 – 19 cm )
bring up for its smoothing iron - colored plumage , the ferruginous pygmy bird of night feeds mostly on insects like grasshoppers and cicadas , though it will also raven on small reptilian and even scorpions . At a measly 7 - inch in duration , these owls have been pick out hunting down birds equal to their own size , admit cardinals , meadowlark , and grosbeaks . A pair of dark spots on the back of the ferruginous Pigmy owl ’s head confuses its prey . These bird of Minerva prefer to make their homes in cactus holes , where they rear their young . Ferruginous pygmy owls can lay anywhere from 1 to 7 eggs at a time , and grownup owl can vaporize an telling 30 to 35 miles per hour .
The ferruginous pygmy hooter is a small , stout bird with a little head and bright yellow eyes . These owls are predominantly brown in color with cream - color feather down their fronts intersperse with red - brown ones . Ferruginous Pigmy owls have disproportionately large feet with farsighted , shrewd talon . Their calls dwell of simple “ hoo - hoos ” in the key of E categorical , and they are most active during the daytime .
The ferruginous pigmy hooter can only be seen in the southernmost summit of Texas and in the southern and south - central portions of Arizona . They are most far-flung in neotropical lowlands , where they can find their preferred quarry in copiousness . Unfortunately , this rarefied bird of night is see a diminution in universe due to habitation loss have by urbanization .
Long-Eared Owl
genus Asio genus Otus
Size:14 - 16 in . ( 35 - 40 cm )
At 15 column inch in distance and with an impressive wingspread of 39 column inch , the long - eared hooter has been known to slip nest off from jays and crows to raise their own immature . This somewhat knotty owl can be hard to find , prefer to seek shelter in obtuse woodlands . And , unluckily , its universe has declined 91 % since 1970 . Unlike most owls , long - eared owls are not very territorial and prefer to rely on their disguise to hide from likely vulture . When confronted , most long - eared bird of night simply fly away . Because these birds can be spooky , they can be tough for birdwatchers to chase down . But if you are lucky enough to recognise a long - eared owl , keep your eyes discase for more — long - eared owls roost in mathematical group of 6 to 50 .
At first glance , the long - eared hooter greatly resembles the great horn bird of night . But a close inspection reveals that long - eared owls possess a distinctive V - shaped feather shape on their facial expression . The tuft of feathering that make up their typeface disks surround brilliant orange eye , give them a surprised manifestation . The second set of feather tufts sitting on top of their head gives them their iconic long - eared appearance These are lanky birds that have tan faces with variegated plumage in shades of brown , tan , grey , and white .
Long - eared hooter live year - cycle in Wyoming , Nevada , Colorado , Arizona , New York , Michigan , and Wisconsin . During the breeding time of year , these birds venture farther north to Montana , North Dakota , and Minnesota . These birds can be spotted in all but the southernmost circumstances of Florida , Alabama , Mississippi , Louisiana , and Texas . Long - eared owl choose to live in open spaces that have thick clusters of scattered trees , providing them with a good seat to seek protection as they trace for small mammal .
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeus
Size:14.5 - 15 in . ( 37 - 38 centimeter )
A classic birdwatcher favorite , myopic - eared owls hunt during the daytime and can be discover throughout the United States . These bird of Minerva are some of the few that opt to establish their own nest . Females reconstruct their pipe bowl - shaped nest in the dry land , lining them with feathers , forage , and other soft material before laying clutches of 4 to 7 nut . Short - eared owls have very typical flight patterns , with temporary wingbeats similar to that of bat or moths . These birdie are typically 17 inches in length and have wingspans of up to 43 inches . They use their powerful wings to delay upright as they swoop up feet - first to becharm their prey , which consist of little mammalian , gnawer , reptiles , and amphibian . Short - eared owls sometimes dine on songbirds and will tear the wings off before immerse them whole .
The ear tuft of the short - eared owl are locate towards the center of their head , and they ’re so short that sometimes they may not be visible at all . dead - eared owls have tawny plumage on their backs and wings with tan belly that are intersperse with vertical dark dark-brown stripe . Tailfeathers are barred . These bird of night have little , round faces with pallid tan to creamy clean facial platter punctuate by black - brim lily-livered eyes . Short - eared owl use precipitous “ waowk - waowk - waowk ” calls to transmit and “ eeee - yerp ” weep during the union season .
Excellent prospicient - aloofness aeronaut , curtly - eared hooter have been describe land on vessel hundreds of miles from shore . These snort will vanish over the ocean and land to touch their breeding grounds in northern Canada . you may find curtly - eared owl living year - beat in the north and northwestern portions of the United States . But , because they travel regularly , you’re able to spot stragglers in nearly every state in the Carry Amelia Moore Nation . These birds favor to harp in exposed arena , admit grasslands , marshland , and farmland .
Western Screech-Owl
Megascops kennicottii
Size:7.5 - 9.5 in . ( 19 - 24 cm )
These are small owls , maxing out at just 9 inch in length and with wingspans of roughly 24 inches . But , do n’t let their little height deceive you . These shuttlecock are serious predators , on a regular basis attempt out quarry many time their own size . While westerly screech - owls feed on gnawer , humble razz , earthworms , and other bugs , they ’ve also been visualize predate on rabbit . westerly shriek - owls like to sit tight to where limbs touch the tree tree trunk , so they can huddle up against them to camouflage themselves from vulture and prey . These are opportunistic predators who like an easy meal , but , when decide , they will also chase after their prey down , sometimes grabbing raspberry and insects midflight .
westerly scream - bird of Minerva look much like eastern screech - owl , with grownup morphs in Great Plains , Mexican , Mojave , brown Pacific , and gray Pacific colorations . They have gray and brownish plumage with no hint of red . Western screech - owl have little , round heads with auricle tuft and vivid yellow-bellied eye . perverse to what their name would lead you to believe , western screeching - hooter usually do n’t screech . or else , they habituate short whistle and trills to pass with each other .
These owls are highly adaptable , making their rest home in a mixture of area , including deserts , grasslands , forests , and urban areas . you’re able to find western screaming - hooter all across the west coast , drift inward a bit to Idaho , Wyoming , Utah , Colorado , New Mexico , and parts of Texas . If you exist in one of these realm , test installing a nesting box to draw a westerly screech - bird of night to your backyard .
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
mob : Tytonidae
Size:12.5 - 16 in . ( 32 - 40 atomic number 96 )
Easily agnize by their pale meat - shaped faces , barn owls are some of the most far-flung owls in the worldly concern . These owls thrive in comeuppance and grassland , but can even be found in polar regions . Barn owls are especially common on farms , where they like to track down for theater computer mouse among the crops in the forenoon and eve , and where they can take shelter in b during the daytime . With their serrated wing , these dire predators wing noiselessly as they go in for the kill . Barn owls are monogamous , snarl for life . They do not build up nests but favor to lay their eggs in the hollows of trees . The amount of food these fowl receive has a unmediated impact on how many eggs they rest — the more voles , rats , and shrewmouse they go through , the more owlets in their brood .
Barn owls are quite lanky compared to other owls . They have large hazelnut to brown optic set in concave , heart - shaped faces that are surround by a delicate outline of pale dark-brown plumage . Barn owls are milk ashen in color with tan and rust brown feathers on their backs and wing . These owl do not hoot but rather favour to communicate via screech .
you’re able to find the b owl in all but the upmost region of the U.S. Even though these fowl are rough-cut throughout the nation , their universe is dwindle down pretty due to inhabitation release . Barn owls reside year - stave 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 camouflage , barred hooter can be problematic to spot . Fortunately , their loud hooting calls “ Who cooks for you ? Who cooks for you all ? ” are easy to hear . Barred owl opt to live in forests where they can track down rabbits , squirrels , and even raccoon . These owls saw a serious universe boom in the 20th century , expanding their range to admit forestland in the western states . block bird of Minerva lean to stay nigh to home throughout their lives , often only traveling around a 6 - mile radius . Like barn owls , barred owls are monogamous and do most of their hunting at dark .
With their deep brown eyes and gentle round cheek , bar owls look exactly as you would await owl to bet . These birds are cover in ruby - browned feathers with white horizontal stripes or BAR . bar owls are most commonly spotted on the edge of forests at dusk , where they can easily turn up their prey .
Once relegated to southeastern Canada and New England , the barred bird of Minerva expand westwards . These owls can now be base in parts of Minnesota , Nebraska , Kansas , and Oklahoma . bar owls have become quite adaptable , and can be spotted in urban areas as well as rural regions . These birds are exceedingly territorial , with paired pairs getting into hoot match with outsiders for champion their homes .
Eastern Screech-Owl
Megascops genus Asio
Size:6 - 10 in . ( 16 - 25 cm )
Featuring 5 race , eastern screech - owls are small birds maxing out at just under 10 - column inch in length . These owls are monogamous and less nervous than other owls , oftentimes hold up in snuggle boxes and even using birdbaths to rinse up . Eastern screech - owls are typically well-off to espy because they prey on songbirds during the day . This little raptorial bird ’s sizing proves delusory . These are highly territorial fowl , even from a young age . untried eastern screech - hooter will fight amongst themselves for intellectual nourishment , and may even kill the smallest and weak of their sib — an deed known as siblicide that is common in birds of target .
Eastern screech - hooter are short , stocky bird with small head and square tails . These owls occur in gray morphs and reddened ( or rufous ) morphs , with some hooter exhibiting brown feather . The color of each easterly screech - bird of night depends on the type of wood it rest in , as its coloring helps to camouflage it from potential marauder . These are very vocal owls that utilize trill yell to draw mates and communicate with their kinsperson . Their distinctive neigh - comparable screeches are hard to miss !
Eastern screech - owls prefer to hold up in woods but are often happy to live in urban areas , too . you could find the eastern screech - owl from Vermont to Montana , in a full grasp sweeping all the way down to Texas and back across the states to Florida . These bird can be found in wooded , rural , and suburban preferences .
Burrowing Owl
Athene cunicularia
Size:7.5 - 9.8 in ( 19 - 25 cm )
These minuscule bird of Minerva be in grassland and comeuppance where they enjoy feeding on insect , small mammals , and reptiles . burrow bird of night are among only a handful of bird of night that favour to hunt during the daytime , spend their night tucked away in their den . When burrows are not useable to them , these highly adaptable birdie make their homes in bucket , pipes , and tubing . Burrowing owls have a high permissiveness for carbon dioxide than other birds , enable them to pass more time huddle up in a small space . These shuttle cleverly habituate muck to carpet their den , which bid insects to visit , providing the birds with an comfortable repast . Burrowing bird of Minerva have also been have it off to compile shiny objective , such as feeding bottle caps , theme clip , and bit of tin foil .
tunnel owl have recollective leg and an vertical military strength . They also have vivid yellow eyes and although their red - brown plume resembles both the barred and circumboreal owls , the fact that they survive on the ground pull in it easy to differentiate between these metal money . burrow owls are pretty quiet , with males producing luxuriously - pitched “ coo - coo ” to defend their territories and attract mates .
As their name suggests , burrowing owls make their rest home in underground burrows , ordinarily result behind by prairie dog . you could find tunnel owls twelvemonth - round throughout the southwest , predominantly in California , Arizona , New Mexico , and Texas . However , this bird of night ’s breeding range extends much farther north , up to Washington , Montana , and North Dakota .
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Aegolius acadicus
Size:8 - 8.5 in . ( 20.3 - 21.5 cm )
These bird of night are myopic and thickset . At just 8 in in length and with a wingspan of 22 inches , northerly power saw - whet owls are among the smallest owls in the United States . Northern sawing machine - whet owls wish to prey on deer mouse , using their sharp beaks to tear their prey into smaller slice , break up a individual mouse into several meal . Because these owls are nocturnal , and because they ’re so small , they can be unmanageable to track . But their sharp vociferation make it easier to locate them in their wood homes . Northern power saw - whet bird of night are mostly sole creature , only socializing with their mates . Females have been known to have two mates , leave the first to elevate a brood with the second . These hooter have porphyrin pigments in their feathers , and when straighten out with a UV light , the ventral side of the wings shows a atomic number 10 pink colour . This helps researchers settle an owl ’s years .
Named because its call vocalize like a saw being sharpened on a whetstone , saw - whet owls have little heads and cat - like nerve with comparatively heavy yellow eyes . With rust - colour backs , breasts , and wings , northerly saw - whet owls have spotted heads and typical Y - mould marking on their faces . These owls use a variety of vocalizations to communicate . They ’re most well identified by their sharp “ too - too - too ” cry , which they use to attract married person . The cries of northern saw - whet owls are so gaudy that they can be heard nearly 1,000 feet off .
One of the most common owls in the U.S. , the northern saw - whet prefers to dwell in mountain forest . They can be found year - round in California , New Mexico , Utah , and Colorado , and in the northeasterly states , Minnesota , Wisconsin , Michigan , New York , and all the way through to Maine . These owls can be seen in other territories , too , during non - breeding fourth dimension . It ’s not unheard of to see northerly byword - whet owls throughout the midwest , including Kansas , Missouri , and Illinois .
How to Attract Texas Owls to Your Backyard
While some bird of night , like the boreal owl and the bearded screech - owl , invalidate humans and can be tough to find , other bird of night , like the barred owl and eastern and westerly screech - owls , are much easier to pull .
Installnesting boxeson tree , pole , and fences to boost your vicinity owl to take up mansion house on your property . Leaving brushing , forest piles , and former lawn trimming provides homes for voles , force field mice , rabbits , gophers , andsnakes . have mass of these critter nearby is a surefire way to get your local hooter ’ aid .
Because many owls wish to feed onsongbirdsandsquirrels , setting up a hiss feeder andgetting a bird bathcan also advance owls to pay you a visit . Of of course , some birds run to scare off bird of night off . jay , crows , blackbirds , grackles , and starling on a regular basis gang owls , so take measures to scare these birds away — take down starling nesting boxes , and bump off cracked clavus and goober from your feeders , which are the favored foods of these birds .
hooter love to sit on pole and in leafless tree because they make it easier for them to spot fair game . Make certain your owls have plenteousness of spots to perch on . you may also attract these birds by limiting your out-of-door activeness , specially in the early morning and late eve hours when they wish to hunt . Together , all of these measures will help oneself your neighborhood owls feel mighty at home in your backyard .
All State Owls
Want to see what bird of night coinage are happen in other res publica ? Here ’s our pure list of owl found in each commonwealth :
