Get a Landscaping or Gardening Quote
Enter your zip code
Nothing is more exciting than spot an bird of Minerva in your backyard if you live in Wisconsin . These glorious birds of prey are a beautiful mint to lay eyes on . If you ’re an avid birdwatcher , you ’re belike eager to identify which eccentric of owls are impose your property .
There are 11 owl metal money found in Wisconsin , include the Northern Hawk Owl , Short - Eared Owl , Northern Saw - Whet Owl , Barred Owl , Great Horned Owl , Snowy Owl , Great Gray Owl , Long - Eared Owl , Eastern Screech - Owl , Boreal Owl , Barn Owl . While several of these owl species have their preferred union and migratory ranges , it ’s potential to fleck a aimless or burst out owl in areas outside their make love territories . If you see an bird of night in Wisconsin that is not on this leaning , consider yourself lucky !
Legend for the following owl rangemaps
The legend below can be used to aid you see where each of the 11 owls of Wisconsin lives during different role of the year .
The 11 Species of Owls in Wisconsin
Northern Hawk Owl
genus Surnia ulula
Order : Strigiformes
Family : Strigidae
Legend for the following owl rangemaps
Size:13.5 - 17.5 in . ( 33.5 - 44.4 cm )
As shuttlecock of quarry , owls must bank on all of their senses to close in on a killing . But the northern hawk owl prefers to trace by plenty and can spot its prey from an awful distance of half a mile aside . These owls have poor hearing than most others because their capitulum opening are not asymmetrical . Still , they can track minuscule mammal beneath a metrical unit of snow if pauperization be . As their name implies , the northern vend owl prefers to wedge to the northernmost portion of North America , but stragglers have been known to find their way south as food becomes scarce . northerly hawk bird of night nest in dead tree and vacuous stumps , where they set up clutches of 3 to 11 ball at a time . Fearless and confrontational , northerly hawk owls will set on anything that wanders too penny-pinching to their nesting sites , whether it ’s a squirrel or a homo .
mortarboard owl look like owls , but act like hawks , perching in crown and searching for their prey right out in the surface during the daylight hours . These owls are characterise by long tails and small rotund heads surrounded by a border of dark brown feathering . Their vibrant chicken eyes and honker endure in utter direct contrast to their reddish - browned feathers . Northern pitch owls have almost solid brown backs and striped fronts and use shrill rolling whistles to attract potential mates .
These magnificent birds do not live in the United States twelvemonth - round , but they do care to expend their winters here . you could find the northern mortarboard owl in the forests of the northmost state , include New Hampshire , Vermont , and New York all the way to the west , in Washington , Idaho , and Montana .
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeus
Size:14.5 - 15 in . ( 37 - 38 cm )
A Hellenic birdwatcher favorite , short - eared owls Holman Hunt during the daytime and can be found throughout the United States . These bird of Minerva are some of the few that prefer to progress their own nests . Females make their bowl - shaped nest in the ground , lining them with feathers , grasses , and other soft materials before lay clutch of 4 to 7 ball . Short - eared bird of night have very distinctive flight form , with unpredictable wingbeats similar to that of squash racquet or moth . These birds are typically 17 in in distance and have wingspread of up to 43 inch . They utilise their powerful wings to stay upright as they pounce base - first to capture their prey , which consist of small-scale mammalian , gnawer , reptiles , and amphibians . Short - eared owls sometimes dine on songbird and will tear the wings off before swallow them whole .
The spike tufts of the curtly - eared owl are situated towards the center field of their heads , and they ’re so short that sometimes they may not be seeable at all . Short - eared bird of Minerva have tawny plume on their back and wing with tan bellies that are interspersed with vertical dour dark-brown streaks . Tailfeathers are relegate . These bird of night have small , round faces with pale tan to creamy whitened facial disks accented by black - brimmed yellow eye . curtly - eared owl use piercing “ waowk - waowk - waowk ” calls to transmit and “ eeee - yerp ” cry out during the conjugation season .
Excellent retentive - length fliers , suddenly - eared owls have been describe set down on watercraft hundreds of international nautical mile from shore . These birds will fly over the ocean and land to make their breeding reason in northerly Canada . you could find curtly - eared owls living year - beat in the north and northwesterly portions of the United States . But , because they travel regularly , you could spot stragglers in about every state in the commonwealth . These birds prefer to dwell in undefended areas , including grasslands , Ngaio Marsh , and farmland .
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Aegolius acadicus
Size:8 - 8.5 in . ( 20.3 - 21.5 atomic number 96 )
These owl are short and thickset . At just 8 in in length and with a wingspan of 22 inches , northern saw - whet owls are among the low bird of Minerva in the United States . Northern saw - whet owls like to feed on deer mice , using their sharp snoot to shoot down their prey into minuscule pieces , break up a unmarried black eye into several meals . Because these owls are nocturnal , and because they ’re so small , they can be difficult to track . But their discriminating cries make it well-to-do to site them in their forest homes . Northern saw - whet owls are mostly lone creatures , only socialize with their partner . female person have been known to have two Paraguay tea , leaving the first to raise a brood with the 2nd . These owls have porphyrin pigments in their feather , and when elucidate with a UV light , the adaxial side of the wings shows a neon pinkish colour . This helps researcher determine an owl ’s years .
Named because its call sounds like a proverb being sharpen on a whetstone , adage - whet owls have small heads and cat - like faces with relatively declamatory yellow eye . With rusting - colored back , bosom , and wings , northern adage - whet hooter have spotted heads and typical Y - shaped markings on their faces . These bird of night use a variety of vocalizations to intercommunicate . They ’re most easy identified by their strident “ too - too - too ” calls , which they utilize to attract mates . The cries of northern adage - whet owls are so cheap that they can be try nearly 1,000 feet away .
One of the most common owls in the U.S. , the northern saw - whet prefers to consist in mickle forests . They can be find class - round in California , New Mexico , Utah , and Colorado , and in the northeast states , Minnesota , Wisconsin , Michigan , New York , and all the way through to Maine . These bird of night can be seen in other territories , too , during non - breeding time . It ’s not unheard of to see northern power saw - whet owls throughout the midwest , including Kansas , Missouri , and Illinois .
Barred Owl
Strix varia
Size:19 - 22 in . ( 48.25 - 56 centimeter )
Masters of camouflage , relegate bird of Minerva can be ruffianly to spot . as luck would have it , their loud hooting song “ Who cook for you ? Who cooks for you all ? ” are easy to get word . block off owls prefer to consist in timber where they can tag down rabbits , squirrels , and even raccoons . These bird of night saw a serious universe thunder in the 20th hundred , expand their range to admit forestland in the western state . Barred owl lean to stay close to nursing home throughout their lifetime , often only travel around a 6 - stat mi spoke . Like barn owls , barred bird of night are monogamous and do most of their hunting at nighttime .
With their recondite dark-brown eyes and gentle rung faces , barred owls look exactly as you would expect bird of night to look . These boo are covered in violent - dark-brown feathers with white horizontal stripe or bar . banish bird of Minerva are most commonly spot on the edge of forests at gloam , where they can well locate their target .
Once relegated to southeastern Canada and New England , the block off bird of night dilate westward . These owls can now be plant in parts of Minnesota , Nebraska , Kansas , and Oklahoma . bar bird of night have become quite adaptable , and can be spotted in urban areas as well as rural region . These hiss are super territorial , with mated pairs capture into hooting match with foreigner for support their home plate .
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Size:18 - 26 in . ( 46 - 63 cm )
Far from meek , Great Horned owls have been get it on to trace other birds of prey , admit ospreys , peregrine falcon , and even other owls . With their strong talon , these birds can exert 28 - pounds of military unit allowing them to tackle larger target . Great orned bird of night are a major threat to other fowl , peculiarly jays and gasconade . In fact , if you ever see a large group of these birds making a fuss , there ’s a good luck it ’s because a swell tusk bird of Minerva has gotten too close to their nests . The great horned bird of Minerva ’s plumage is ultra - soft , and this provides the brute with several benefit . For starters , it protects them from the harsh cold . But it also muffles sound , give up them to fly silently as they pounce down on their prey . Interestingly , although the females of the mintage are larger than the males , female have higher - pitched voices , and mated pairs often synchronize their calls .
The great tusk owl is well discover by a match pair of tussock on either side of its head , giving it a horn coming into court . They have gray to red - chocolate-brown barred plume and favorable yellow oculus that do not move within the sockets . These birds can go around their head 180 degrees to see and hear what ’s going on around them . Facial feather discs facilitate direct soundwaves to their ears , permit them to track their quarry , and their wide wings enable them to aviate deftly , with serrated primary plumage scatter upheaval and flabby feathering muffling phone .
These magnificent owl can be find in every body politic in the nation except Hawaii . These owls are native to the Americas , and they ’re highly adaptable , inhabit in forested , rural , and urban areas alike . While you ’re unresistant to see a great horned owl just about anywhere , keep your eyes peeled near wooded areas , especially along treelines as these bird care to light near open fields to find their prey .
Snowy Owl
Bubo scandiacus
Size:20.5 - 27.9 in . ( 52 - 71 cm )
Snowy owl are the sullen hooter , with adult average between 3 and 5 Lebanese pound . Their dense plume makes them weightier , but it also allows them to defy the cold temperatures of the Arctic tundra . These are powerful birds at or so 28 inch long with a wingspread of 57 column inch . They ’re aggressive , too , using their sharp talons and strong animal foot to defend their territories from predators and competitors . These owls hunt almost exclusively during the daytime and can eat more than 1,600 lemming in a year . Their voracious appetites can have a devastating impact on their solid food supply , but these skilled flier are willing and able-bodied to wing to the south in lookup of prey . Snowy owl population have decline 64 % since 1970 due to illegal hunt and vehicle collisions , as well as mood change .
Juveniles of the species have brown and black markings over a base of white plumage . As these hiss get on , they lose most of their markings . At adulthood , males will be almost pure white , with females retain some of their patternings . These hooter have hoarse voice and use a variety of calls , the most frequent of which is a rhythmic “ krooh - krooh - krooh - krooh ” .
Snowy owls do n’t live in the United States all year long , however , they do wintertime in the northerly states . you’re able to see snowy hooter from Washington all the way across to Maine . In eld when their preferred quarry was specially circumscribed , snowy owls were spy as far in the south as Florida , so it ’s possible to descry one of these mantrap no matter where you are in the U.S.
Great Gray Owl
genus Strix nebulosa
Size:25 - 33 in . ( 63.5 - 84 atomic number 96 )
At 33 - inch foresightful , great gray hooter are the largest mintage of owl in the world in damage of distance , with females being slightly larger than males . These bird have an impressive wingspread averaging around 5 feet . But , even though this owl look quite large , it actually is n’t that big — it ’s mostly feathers . Unlike smashing tusk owls , which can weigh up to 5.5 Egyptian pound , nifty gray bird of night are padded out with dense plumage and consider just 3.75 pounds . Their loose weight allows them to fly quietly as they abrade the forest trading floor in hunting of food . Their asymmetrical ear possible action enable them to track their fair game while their powerful feet and talons can clear through densely - packed coke to beguile rodents and lowly mammals tunneling beneath it .
With its gray feathers and haunting expression , the great gray-headed owl has also been dubbed the Phantom of the North . This steel to brown - grey bird of Minerva has a sooty appearance with amber yellow center and large disks surrounding them , give them an fitly wise expression . Just beneath the doll ’s beak lie a white “ bow-tie ” that tapers to rounded ends . The keen gray owl use deep , rhythmic “ whoo - whoos ” to guard its territories and transmit with its crime syndicate .
Great grey hooter can be found year - rhythm in boreal forests in the northernmost country . bet for these beautiful Bronx cheer of quarry in Minnesota , Michigan , Wisconsin , and New York . You ’re also likely to spot them in California , Oregon , Idaho , and even component of Wyoming and Utah .
Long-Eared Owl
genus Asio genus Otus
Size:14 - 16 in . ( 35 - 40 cm )
At 15 in in length and with an telling wingspan of 39 inches , the long - eared bird of night has been known to steal nest aside from jays and crows to raise their own vernal . This somewhat elusive owl can be bad to witness , preferring to seek tax shelter in dense timber . And , alas , its population has declined 91 % since 1970 . Unlike most owl , long - eared owls are not very territorial and prefer to rely on their camouflage to hide from potential predators . When confronted , most long - eared bird of night simply fell away . Because these birds can be skittish , they can be sturdy for birdwatchers to track down . But if you are golden enough to descry a long - eared owl , keep your eyes strip for more — long - eared owls roost in groups of 6 to 50 .
At first glance , the long - eared owl greatly resembles the gravid horned owl . But a closer inspection reveals that long - eared owls possess a distinctive V - shaped feather pattern on their faces . The tufts of feather that make up their face disks skirt shiny orangish eyes , giving them a surprised expression . The 2nd stage set of feather tufts sit down on top of their heads gives them their iconic long - eared show These are lanky birds that have tan face with variegated plume in spook of brown , tan , grey , and white .
Long - eared owls exist twelvemonth - round in Wyoming , Nevada , Colorado , Arizona , New York , Michigan , and Wisconsin . During the genteelness season , these chick venture farther northerly to Montana , North Dakota , and Minnesota . These raspberry can be spotted in all but the southernmost portion of Florida , Alabama , Mississippi , Louisiana , and Texas . Long - eared owls opt to live on in open outer space that have dense clusters of scattered trees , provide them with a safe billet to search shelter as they hunt for small mammals .
Eastern Screech-Owl
Megascops genus Asio
Size:6 - 10 in . ( 16 - 25 centimeter )
feature 5 subspecies , eastern screech - owls are small birds maxing out at just under 10 - inches in length . These owl are monogamous and less nervous than other owls , oft survive in nesting boxes and even using birdbath to wash up . Eastern screech - owls are typically gentle to spot because they predate on songbird during the daytime . This small raptor ’s size proves misleading . These are highly territorial birds , even from a young age . unseasoned eastern screech - hooter will fight amongst themselves for intellectual nourishment , and may even kill the small and weakest of their siblings — an deed bonk as siblicide that is common in wench of prey .
Eastern screaming - owls are short , stocky birds with little heads and substantial tails . These owl occur in grey morphs and red ( or rufous ) morphs , with some owls exhibit brown feather . The colour of each eastern screech - owl depends on the case of forest it reside in , as its food color help oneself to camouflage it from potential predators . These are very vocal owls that apply trilling call to attract mates and communicate with their families . Their distinctive whinny - like screeches are hard to miss !
Eastern screech - owls prefer to know in forests but are often well-chosen to live in urban area , too . you may happen the easterly scream - owl from Vermont to Montana , in a tolerant range sweep up all the way of life down to Texas and back across the states to Florida . These birds can be line up in wooded , rural , and suburban mount .
Boreal Owl
Aegolius funereus
Size:9 - 10 in . ( 22.9 - 25.5 cm )
Small and knotty , boreal owls show the most sexual dimorphism of any other owl , with females grow double as large as the males of the mintage . Boreal owl are hard to track down because they roost in different trees every day . They ’re also quiet , although male person will begin hooting at dark in the late winter and spring for attract a mate . circumboreal owls are very small-scale , about the size of a American robin or blue jay . Like most other owls , their skulls are asymmetrical , with one capitulum opening perch higher than the other . This unique design enable circumboreal owls to accurately evaluate both tiptop and distance when closing in on their prey .
With their rotund faces and crimson - brown feathers , circumboreal owls resemble bar owl , although they ’re much low . These owls have large promising white-livered eyes , reach them a surprised expression . As their name suggests , circumboreal owls favor to lodge in in boreal timber full of spruce , pine , and fir tree trees . circumboreal owls are most combat-ready at night when they tail down little mammals and dirt ball .
you may find boreal owls in Washington , Idaho , and Montana , though their image goes as far south as the northmost neighborhood of New Mexico . circumboreal owls sleep together to perch in conifer and evergreen plant trees . disforestation has led to a fall in habitat for these shy bird of night . But , while they can be tough to find , they have been screw to use nesting box , so installing a few on your property can greatly increase your chances of make out one .
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
Family : Tytonidae
Size:12.5 - 16 in . ( 32 - 40 curium )
well acknowledge by their pale ticker - shaped typeface , barn owls are some of the most far-flung hooter in the world . These bird of Minerva thrive in deserts and grassland , but can even be found in pivotal regions . Barn bird of night are especially rough-cut on farm , where they like to track down for subject area mice among the crop in the dayspring and evening , and where they can take shelter in barns during the daytime . With their serrate wings , these direful marauder take flight soundlessly as they go in for the kill . Barn owls are monogamous , mate for life . They do not ramp up nest but prefer to lay their egg in the hollows of trees . The amount of food for thought these birds receive has a lineal shock on how many eggs they lay — the more vole , betrayer , and shrew they exhaust , the more owlets in their brood .
Barn owls are quite lanky compared to other owls . They have expectant hazel to brown centre prepare in concave , heart - shaped faces that are surround by a delicate outline of pale chocolate-brown feathers . Barn owls are Milk River white in color with tan and rust brown feathers on their backs and wing . These owls do not hoot but alternatively opt to pass along via scream .
you’re able to find the barn owl in all but the topmost region of the U.S. Even though these Bronx cheer are common throughout the nation , their universe is dwindling somewhat due to habitation departure . Barn hooter reside twelvemonth - round as far south as Texas and Arizona , as far east as Pennsylvania , and all across the Pacific Northwest .
How to Attract Wisconsin Owls to Your Backyard
While some owls , like the boreal bird of night and the barbate screaming - bird of night , avoid humans and can be tough to regain , other owls , like the relegate owl and eastern and westerly screech - owls , are much wanton to attract .
Installnesting boxeson trees , pole , and fences to encourage your neighborhood owls to take up residence on your property . leave brush , wood piles , and former lawn trimmings supply homes for field mouse , landing field mouse , hare , ground squirrel , andsnakes . Having plenty of these critters nearby is a surefire way to get your local owls ’ care .
Because many owls like to feed in onsongbirdsandsquirrels , setting up a bird feeder andgetting a bird bathcan also encourage bird of Minerva to pay you a visit . Of course , some birds work to scare owls off . Jays , Crow , blackbirds , Indian grackle , and starlings on a regular basis mob owls , so take measures to scare these birdie out — take down starling nest boxes , and remove cracked Indian corn and peanuts from your feeder , which are the best-loved food of these birds .
Owls love to sit down on poles and in leafless trees because they make it easy for them to espy prey . verify your bird of Minerva have plenty of smudge to perch on . you’re able to also attract these birds by limiting your outside action , peculiarly in the early morning and late evening hours when they like to run . Together , all of these measure will help your vicinity owls feel right on at plate in your backyard .
All State Owls
desire to see what hooter species are found in other states ? Here ’s our complete list of owls find in each country :
