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Nothing is more exciting than spotting an bird of night in your backyard if you experience in Georgia . These glorious birds of target are a beautiful sight to behold . If you ’re an avid birdwatcher , you ’re believably eager to identify which type of bird of night are visiting your holding .
There are 7 owl specie found in Georgia , let in the Northern Saw - Whet Owl , Great Horned Owl , Barn Owl , Short - Eared Owl , Barred Owl , Eastern Screech - Owl , and Long - Eared Owl . While several of these owl specie have their preferred mating and migratory mountain chain , it ’s potential to blot a vagrant or irrupting owl in areas outside their acknowledge district . If you see an bird of Minerva in Georgia that is not on this list , consider yourself golden !
Legend for the following owl rangemaps
The legend below can be used to help you define where each of the 7 hooter of Georgia live during unlike parts of the year .
The 7 Species of Owls in Georgia
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Aegolius acadicus
Order : Strigiformes
crime syndicate : Strigidae
Legend for the following owl rangemaps
Size:8 - 8.5 in . ( 20.3 - 21.5 cm )
These owls are little and compact . At just 8 inches in duration and with a wingspan of 22 inch , northerly adage - whet owls are among the smallest bird of night in the United States . Northern power saw - whet bird of Minerva care to prey on deer black eye , using their keen beak to tear their quarry into smaller pieces , breaking up a exclusive mouse into several meals . Because these owls are nocturnal , and because they ’re so small , they can be hard to pass over . But their crisp cries make it easier to locate them in their timber rest home . Northern saw - whet owls are mostly lonely creature , only socialize with their mates . female have been known to have two mates , leaving the first to raise a brood with the 2nd . These owls have porphyrin pigments in their feather , and when illuminated with a UV igniter , the ventral side of the wings shows a neon pinkish color . This helps researchers shape an owl ’s age .
nominate because its call sound like a power saw being sharpen on a whetstone , byword - whet bird of Minerva have small head and cat - like faces with relatively large yellow eyes . With rust fungus - colour backs , breast , and wing , northerly adage - whet bird of night have descry heads and distinctive Y - shaped markings on their brass . These owls expend a variety of vocalizations to communicate . They ’re most easy distinguish by their strident “ too - too - too ” call , which they use to attract mate . The watchword of northern byword - whet owls are so loud that they can be get a line almost 1,000 feet off .
One of the most uncouth owls in the U.S. , the northern saw - whet prefers to dwell in mountain woods . They can be find year - daily round in California , New Mexico , Utah , and Colorado , and in the northeasterly State , Minnesota , Wisconsin , Michigan , New York , and all the way through to Maine . These owls can be learn in other territories , too , during non - breeding time . It ’s not unheard of to see northerly saw - whet owls throughout the midwest , including Kansas , Missouri , and Illinois .
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Size:18 - 26 in . ( 46 - 63 curium )
Far from meek , Great Horned owls have been known to hunt other birds of target , including ospreys , Falco peregrinus , and even other bird of Minerva . With their strong talon , these birds can exercise 28 - Irish pound of force allow them to tackle big prey . Great orned hooter are a major threat to other birds , peculiarly John Jay and crows . In fact , if you ever listen a large group of these fowl making a fuss , there ’s a good chance it ’s because a great horned owl has gotten too close to their nests . The not bad horn owl ’s plume is ultra - soft , and this leave the animals with several welfare . For starter , it protect them from the harsh coldness . But it also muffles sound , leave them to fell taciturnly as they pounce down on their quarry . Interestingly , although the females of the specie are turgid than the males , females have higher - pitched voices , and mated twosome often synchronize their calls .
The great horn owl is easily identify by a matching pair of tufts on either side of its head , giving it a horned coming into court . They have gray to red - browned barred plumage and aureate jaundiced eyes that do not move within the socket . These birds can spread out their heads 180 point to see and hear what ’s going on around them . Facial plume discs help verbatim soundwaves to their ears , allowing them to track their prey , and their wide wings enable them to fly dexterously , with serrated chief plume dispersing turbulence and delicate feather muffle sound .
These magnificent owls can be found in every state in the state except Hawaii . These owls are native to the Americas , and they ’re highly adaptable , dwelling in forested , rural , and urban areas alike . While you ’re liable to see a great horned owl just about anywhere , keep your eyes peeled near wooded areas , especially along treelines as these hiss like to rest near open fields to find their quarry .
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
class : Tytonidae
Size:12.5 - 16 in . ( 32 - 40 cm )
Easily recognize by their sick meat - shaped faces , barn bird of Minerva are some of the most widespread owls in the world . These bird of Minerva thrive in comeupance and grasslands , but can even be found in glacial regions . Barn owls are specially common on farms , where they like to hound for field of view mouse among the crops in the morning and even , and where they can take shelter in b during the daytime . With their serrate wings , these terrible predators aviate noiselessly as they go in for the killing . Barn owl are monogamous , mating for life . They do not build up nests but opt to place their nut in the hollows of trees . The amount of food these birds incur has a unmediated impact on how many eggs they lie in — the more voles , blackleg , and shrew they eat , the more owlets in their brood .
Barn owls are quite lanky compared to other bird of Minerva . They have big hazel to brownish eyes set in concave , heart - shaped faces that are surrounded by a fragile schema of pale brown plume . Barn owls are Milk River white in color with tan and rust brown feather on their backrest and wings . These owls do not hoot but instead favor to intercommunicate via screeches .
you’re able to find the b owl in all but the uppermost region of the U.S. Even though these birds are coarse throughout the nation , their population is dwindle down more or less due to habitation loss . Barn owls repose yr - round as far south as Texas and Arizona , as far east as Pennsylvania , and all across the Pacific Northwest .
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeus
Size:14.5 - 15 in . ( 37 - 38 cm )
A classic birdwatcher favourite , unretentive - eared owls hunt during the daytime and can be ground throughout the United States . These owls are some of the few that prefer to build their own nests . Females construct their bowl - mold nests in the priming , lining them with feathering , grasses , and other voiced material before lay clutches of 4 to 7 egg . Short - eared owls have very distinctive flight patterns , with irregular wingbeats similar to that of bat or moth . These fowl are typically 17 inches in length and have wingspans of up to 43 inches . They use their powerful wings to stay upright as they swoop up ft - first to capture their prey , which consists of small mammals , rodents , reptiles , and amphibians . dead - eared hooter sometimes dine on songbirds and will tear the wing off before swallowing them whole .
The capitulum tuft of the unawares - eared owl are situated towards the center of their heads , and they ’re so unretentive that sometimes they may not be seeable at all . Short - eared bird of Minerva have tawny plumage on their spinal column and wing with tan paunch that are interspersed with vertical dark brown streaks . Tailfeathers are barred . These owls have pocket-size , pear-shaped faces with pale tan to creamy white facial platter accented by black - brim yellow eyes . Short - eared owls use sharp “ waowk - waowk - waowk ” calls to commune and “ eeee - yerp ” cries during the mating time of year .
Excellent long - distance fliers , short - eared hooter have been report land on watercraft 100 of nautical mile from shore . These birds will flee over the ocean and land to hit their breeding grounds in northern Canada . you may get unawares - eared bird of night living year - round in the north and northwest portions of the United States . But , because they journey regularly , you may spot stragglers in nearly every Department of State in the body politic . These birds prefer to dwell in undecided areas , including grassland , Marsh , and farmland .
Barred Owl
genus Strix varia
Size:19 - 22 in . ( 48.25 - 56 centimetre )
Masters of camouflage , barred owls can be elusive to spot . Fortunately , their loud hooting calls “ Who cooks for you ? Who ready for you all ? ” are gentle to get a line . Barred owls prefer to live in forests where they can track down hare , squirrels , and even raccoons . These bird of Minerva saw a serious universe boom in the twentieth 100 , expand their reach to include forestland in the westerly states . Barred owls run to ride out close to home throughout their lives , often only travel around a 6 - mile radius . Like barn owls , barred owls are monogamous and do most of their hunting at night .
With their mystifying dark-brown eyes and blue-blooded unit of ammunition face , barred owls look exactly as you would expect hooter to wait . These birds are cover in red - brownish feathering with white-hot horizontal stripes or bar . block off owls are most commonly spotted on the edges of forests at nightfall , where they can easy turn up their prey .
Once relegated to southeastern Canada and New England , the barred hooter dilate westward . These owls can now be find in section of Minnesota , Nebraska , Kansas , and Oklahoma . bar owls have become quite adaptable , and can be spotted in urban areas as well as rural region . These shuttle are extremely territorial , with mated duet getting into hoot matches with outsiders for defend their homes .
Eastern Screech-Owl
Megascops genus Asio
Size:6 - 10 in . ( 16 - 25 cm )
Featuring 5 subspecies , easterly screech - owls are belittled birds maxing out at just under 10 - inches in length . These owls are monogamous and less flighty than other owls , frequently hold up in nesting boxes and even using birdbath to wash up . Eastern shrieking - owls are typically easy to spot because they prey on songbirds during the day . This piddling raptorial bird ’s size proves deceptive . These are extremely territorial shuttlecock , even from a young age . Young eastern screech - bird of Minerva will fight amongst themselves for food , and may even kill the smallest and weak of their siblings — an act hump as siblicide that is uncouth in birds of prey .
Eastern scream - owls are brusque , stocky snort with small heads and square tails . These owls occur in grizzly morphs and red ( or rufous ) morphs , with some owls exhibiting brown feather . The color of each eastern screech - owl depends on the eccentric of forest it resides in , as its coloring help to camouflage it from possible predators . These are very vocal owls that utilize trilling calls to draw in mates and communicate with their menage . Their distinctive neigh - like screeches are hard to miss !
Eastern screech - owls favour to live in forests but are often happy to live in urban areas , too . you’re able to find oneself the easterly screech - bird of night from Vermont to Montana , in a broad reach sweeping all the way down to Texas and back across the states to Florida . These birds can be found in wooded , rural , and suburban setting .
Long-Eared Owl
Asio otus
Size:14 - 16 in . ( 35 - 40 centimetre )
At 15 inches in distance and with an impressive wingspan of 39 column inch , the long - eared bird of night has been known to slip nest aside from jays and crow to raise their own young . This somewhat elusive bird of night can be rugged to detect , preferring to essay shelter in dense woodland . And , alas , its population has declined 91 % since 1970 . Unlike most bird of Minerva , long - eared owls are not very territorial and prefer to trust on their camouflage to hide from potential marauder . When confronted , most long - eared owls simply fly away . Because these birds can be spooky , they can be tough for birdwatchers to cut through down . But if you are lucky enough to tell apart a long - eared owl , keep your heart flake for more — long - eared bird of Minerva roost in groups of 6 to 50 .
At first glance , the long - eared owl greatly resembles the cracking horned owl . But a close inspection reveals that long - eared hooter have a distinctive 5 - shape feather pattern on their faces . The tufts of feathers that make up their typeface disks environ bright orange eyes , give them a surprised expression . The 2nd set of feather tuft sitting on top of their heads give them their iconic long - eared appearing These are lanky birds that have tan faces with variegated plume in nicety of brown , tan , grey-haired , and clean .
Long - eared owls live year - round in Wyoming , Nevada , Colorado , Arizona , New York , Michigan , and Wisconsin . During the breeding time of year , these birds venture further northward to Montana , North Dakota , and Minnesota . These birds can be spotted in all but the southernmost part of Florida , Alabama , Mississippi , Louisiana , and Texas . Long - eared bird of Minerva prefer to live in open spaces that have heavy clusters of scattered trees , provide them with a secure position to seek shelter as they hunt for minuscule mammals .
How to Attract Georgia Owls to Your Backyard
While some owls , like the boreal owl and the whiskery screech - hooter , forfend human being and can be elusive to retrieve , other owl , like the barred owl and easterly and western screech - owls , are much easier to pull .
Installnesting boxeson trees , poles , and debate to advance your neighbourhood hooter to take up manse on your prop . Leaving brush , wood down , and quondam lawn trimmings provide plate for voles , field of operation mice , rabbits , pocket gopher , andsnakes . Having plenteousness of these critter nearby is a surefire style to get your local owl ’ attention .
Because many bird of Minerva like to feed onsongbirdsandsquirrels , set up a snort affluent andgetting a razzing bathcan also encourage owls to bear you a sojourn . Of course , some Bronx cheer work to scare owls off . Jays , crows , merle , crow blackbird , and starlings on a regular basis family bird of night , so take measures to scare these doll away — take down starling nesting boxes , and off crack corn and groundnut from your feeder , which are the preferred food for thought of these birds .
Owls have it off to ride on pole and in leafless trees because they make it easier for them to spot fair game . ensure your owls have plenty of spot to rest on . you may also pull in these birds by fix your outdoor activity , particularly in the early morning and late evening hour when they care to hunt . Together , all of these measures will help your neighborhood owls feel justly at family in your backyard .
All State Owls
need to see what owl species are found in other Department of State ? Here ’s our complete list of hooter regain in each state :
