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Nothing is more exciting than spotting an bird of night in your backyard if you live in Mississippi . These magnificent birds of quarry are a beautiful sight to behold . If you ’re an avid birdwatcher , you ’re probably eager to identify which types of owls are visiting your property .
There are 12 owl mintage found in Mississippi , including the Long - Eared Owl , Boreal Owl , Snowy Owl , Northern Saw - Whet Owl , Barn Owl , Eastern Screech - Owl , Barred Owl , Great Gray Owl , Short - Eared Owl , Northern Hawk Owl , Burrowing Owl , and Great Horned Owl . While several of these owl specie have their favorite mating and migratory ranges , it ’s possible to blot a vagabond or irrupting hooter in areas outside their known soil . If you see an bird of Minerva in Mississippi that is not on this list , look at yourself lucky !
Legend for the following owl rangemaps
The legend below can be used to help you define where each of the 12 bird of Minerva of Mississippi exist during different parting of the year .
The 12 Species of Owls in Mississippi
Long-Eared Owl
Asio otus
Holy Order : order Strigiformes
family unit : Strigidae
Legend for the following owl rangemaps
Size:14 - 16 in . ( 35 - 40 cm )
At 15 in in duration and with an impressive wingspan of 39 inches , the long - eared owl has been known to steal nest away from jays and crows to raise their own young . This somewhat problematical bird of night can be problematic to ascertain , favor to attempt tax shelter in slow forest . And , unluckily , its population has slump 91 % since 1970 . Unlike most owls , long - eared owls are not very territorial and prefer to rely on their camouflage to cover from potential predators . When confront , most long - eared owls simply vanish aside . Because these birds can be skittish , they can be sturdy for birdwatchers to track down . But if you are lucky enough to tell apart a long - eared bird of night , keep your optic peeled for more — long - eared owls roost in chemical group of 6 to 50 .
At first coup d’oeil , the long - eared owl greatly resemble the great horned owl . But a airless review reveals that long - eared owl own a distinctive V - form feather convention on their face . The tufts of feathers that make up their face disks surround brilliant orange middle , giving them a surprised expression . The second set of feather tuft sitting on top of their heads gives them their iconic long - eared appearance These are gangling birds that have tan face with variegated plumage in shade of brown , tan , gray , and bloodless .
Long - eared hooter live year - round in Wyoming , Nevada , Colorado , Arizona , New York , Michigan , and Wisconsin . During the upbringing season , these skirt guess far northwards to Montana , North Dakota , and Minnesota . These dame can be spotted in all but the southernmost portion of Florida , Alabama , Mississippi , Louisiana , and Texas . Long - eared owls choose to live in assailable infinite that have obtuse clusters of scatter trees , providing them with a good space to essay shelter as they hunt for small mammalian .
Boreal Owl
Aegolius funereus
Size:9 - 10 in . ( 22.9 - 25.5 cm )
little and elusive , circumboreal hooter show the most intimate dimorphism of any other owl , with female arise double as large as the males of the metal money . circumboreal owls are hard to track down because they roost in different Tree every sidereal day . They ’re also unruffled , although male will begin hooting at night in the late winter and springiness so as to attract a mate . Boreal owls are very little , about the size of a robin redbreast or puritanic jay . Like most other hooter , their skull are asymmetric , with one ear opening perch higher than the other . This unique design enable circumboreal hooter to accurately judge both height and length when closing in on their prey .
With their pear-shaped face and red - brown feathering , boreal owls resemble barred owls , although they ’re much belittled . These hooter have turgid bright xanthous eye , present them a surprised reflexion . As their name paint a picture , circumboreal bird of Minerva prefer to reside in boreal forests full of spruce , pine , and fir trees . circumboreal bird of Minerva are most active at night when they trail down modest mammalian and insects .
you may find boreal bird of night in Washington , Idaho , and Montana , though their range rifle as far to the south as the northernmost region of New Mexico . Boreal bird of Minerva lie with to alight in conifer and evergreen tree . Deforestation has head to a decline in home ground for these shy owls . But , while they can be tough to encounter , they have been known to practice nesting boxes , so installing a few on your property can greatly increase your chance of spotting one .
Snowy Owl
Bubo scandiacus
Size:20.5 - 27.9 in . ( 52 - 71 atomic number 96 )
Snowy bird of Minerva are the heaviest hooter , with adults averaging between 3 and 5 pounds . Their impenetrable feather makes them rotund , but it also permit them to withstand the cold temperature of the Arctic tundra . These are powerful birds at roughly 28 inch long with a wingspan of 57 inches . They ’re aggressive , too , using their piercing talons and strong feet to defend their territories from piranha and contender . These owls William Holman Hunt almost exclusively during the daytime and can eat more than 1,600 lemming in a yr . Their voracious appetency can have a annihilating impact on their food supply , but these skilled aeronaut are willing and able to fly in the south in search of prey . Snowy bird of Minerva populations have declined 64 % since 1970 due to illegal hunting and fomite collision , as well as climate change .
Juveniles of the metal money have brownish and sinister markings over a substructure of livid plumage . As these birds age , they lose most of their markings . At maturity , males will be almost pure white , with female hold back some of their patternings . These bird of Minerva have hoarse voices and expend a variety of calls , the most frequent of which is a rhythmical “ krooh - krooh - krooh - krooh ” .
Snowy owls do n’t live in the United States all year long , however , they do winter in the northern states . you could see snowy bird of Minerva from Washington all the fashion across to Maine . In age when their best-loved fair game was particularly limited , snowy hooter were sighted as far south as Florida , so it ’s potential to spot one of these smasher no matter where you are in the U.S.
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Aegolius acadicus
Size:8 - 8.5 in . ( 20.3 - 21.5 cm )
These owls are inadequate and thickset . At just 8 inch in length and with a wingspread of 22 column inch , northern byword - whet owls are among the pocket-sized bird of Minerva in the United States . northerly saw - whet bird of night care to prey on cervid black eye , using their sharp beaks to tear their prey into smaller pieces , breaking up a individual black eye into several meals . Because these bird of night are nocturnal , and because they ’re so small , they can be difficult to traverse . But their sharp cry make it easier to locate them in their forest homes . northerly byword - whet owls are mostly nonsocial tool , only socializing with their couple . Females have been known to have two mate , leave the first to elicit a brood with the second . These owl have porphyrin pigments in their feathers , and when illuminated with a ultraviolet light light , the ventral side of the wings prove a atomic number 10 pinkish colour . This help oneself researcher make up one’s mind an owl ’s age .
identify because its call go like a byword being focalise on a whetstone , saw - whet owls have little heads and cat - like grimace with relatively large chickenhearted eye . With rust - discolour backs , breasts , and wings , northern proverb - whet owls have spotted head and distinctive Y - shape markings on their faces . These bird of Minerva use a variety of utterance to communicate . They ’re most easily identified by their shrill “ too - too - too ” calls , which they use to attract mates . The rallying cry of northerly saw - whet owl are so meretricious that they can be heard nearly 1,000 pes aside .
One of the most plebeian bird of night in the U.S. , the northern saw - whet prefers to dwell in mountain forests . They can be found year - round in California , New Mexico , Utah , and Colorado , and in the northeastern states , Minnesota , Wisconsin , Michigan , New York , and all the means through to Maine . These bird of Minerva can be seen 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 .
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
home : Tytonidae
Size:12.5 - 16 in . ( 32 - 40 centimeter )
Easily recognized by their pale heart - shape faces , barn owls are some of the most far-flung hooter in the humans . These bird of Minerva flourish in deserts and grasslands , but can even be find out in polar regions . Barn bird of Minerva are especially common on farm , where they like to hunt for field mice among the crop in the morning and evening , and where they can take protection in b during the daytime . With their serrated wing , these fearsome predators vaporize noiselessly as they go in for the kill . Barn owls are monogamous , matte up for life . They do not progress nests but favour to lay their eggs in the hollows of trees . The amount of food these shuttle have has a direct impact on how many ballock they lie — the more voles , blackleg , and shrewmouse they consume , the more owlets in their brood .
Barn owls are quite gangling compared to other owls . They have large hazelnut tree to brown eye set in concave , heart - shaped faces that are surrounded by a fragile outline of pallid browned feathers . Barn owl are milk snowy in color with tan and rust brown feathers on their backs and wing . These owls do not hoot but rather prefer to commune via screeches .
you’re able to recover the barn owl in all but the uppermost region of the U.S. Even though these birds are mutual throughout the country , their universe is dwindling middling due to home loss . Barn owls reside year - unit of ammunition as far in the south as Texas and Arizona , as far east as Pennsylvania , and all across the Pacific Northwest .
Eastern Screech-Owl
Megascops genus Asio
Size:6 - 10 in . ( 16 - 25 cm )
Featuring 5 race , easterly screech - owls are small birds maxing out at just under 10 - inches in duration . These owls are monogamous and less nervous than other owls , frequently living in nesting boxes and even using birdbath to wash up . easterly scream - bird of night are typically well-heeled to spot because they prey on songbirds during the daytime . This little raptor ’s size rise deceptive . These are highly territorial birds , even from a young eld . Young easterly screech - owls will fight amongst themselves for food , and may even wipe out the smallest and weak of their siblings — an enactment known as siblicide that is common in birds of prey .
Eastern shriek - owls are short , stocky dame with diminished heads and hearty tails . These owls occur in gray morphs and violent ( or rufous ) morphs , with some owl exhibiting chocolate-brown plumage . The color of each easterly screech - owl calculate on the type of forest it resides in , as its colouring help to camouflage it from likely predators . These are very vocal owls that apply trilling telephone call to attract mates and communicate with their families . Their distinctive neigh - similar shriek are hard to leave out !
easterly screech - hooter favour to live in timberland but are often felicitous to live in urban expanse , too . you could find the easterly screaming - owl from Vermont to Montana , in a tolerant range sweep all the mode down to Texas and back across the State Department to Florida . These birds can be found in wooded , rural , and suburban configurations .
Barred Owl
Strix varia
Size:19 - 22 in . ( 48.25 - 56 cm )
Masters of disguise , bar owls can be rugged to spot . Fortunately , their gaudy hooting calls “ Who cooks for you ? Who cook for you all ? ” are easy to hear . block up bird of Minerva favour to dwell in forests where they can traverse down cony , squirrels , and even raccoons . These owls saw a serious population roaring in the 20th century , expanding their mountain range to include forestland in the western states . Barred owls be given to abide tight to place throughout their lives , often only go around a 6 - mile r . Like barn owls , barred owls are monogamous and do most of their hunting at dark .
With their deep brown eyes and patrician cycle faces , bar bird of Minerva take care exactly as you would bear owl to look . These birds are comprehend in red - dark-brown feathers with white horizontal stripe or bar . block off bird of night are most commonly spotted on the bound of woods at nightfall , where they can easily locate their prey .
Once demote to southeastern Canada and New England , the barred owl expanded westwards . These owls can now be found in persona of Minnesota , Nebraska , Kansas , and Oklahoma . Barred owls have become quite adaptable , and can be spotted in urban areas as well as rural region . These birds are passing territorial , with mated pair get into hooting matches with outsider for guard their home .
Great Gray Owl
Strix nebulosa
Size:25 - 33 in . ( 63.5 - 84 cm )
At 33 - inches long , not bad grey owls are the turgid species of bird of Minerva in the world in terms of duration , with females being slightly larger than males . These birds have an impressive wingspan average out around 5 ft . But , even though this owl looks quite large , it actually is n’t that vainglorious — it ’s mostly feathers . Unlike great horned owls , which can weigh up to 5.5 pounds , great gray owls are padded out with dense plumage and weigh just 3.75 pounds . Their light weight allows them to vaporize restfully as they scour the forest story in hunting of food . Their asymmetric ear openings enable them to tag their prey while their brawny understructure and talon can authorize through densely - packed snow to capture gnawer and modest mammals tunneling beneath it .
With its gray feathers and haunting reflexion , the smashing gray bird of night has also been dub the Phantom of the North . This steel to brown - gray owl has a sooty appearing with amber yellow middle and large saucer surrounding them , giving them an suitably wise aspect . Just beneath the shuttle ’s beak lies a bloodless “ bow tie ” that tapers to rounded ends . The corking grey owl use recondite , rhythmic “ whoo - whoos ” to defend its territory and communicate with its family .
large gray owl can be found year - troll in boreal forests in the northernmost commonwealth . Look for these beautiful razzing of prey in Minnesota , Michigan , Wisconsin , and New York . You ’re also likely to spot them in California , Oregon , Idaho , and even parts of Wyoming and Utah .
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeus
Size:14.5 - 15 in . ( 37 - 38 centimeter )
A Greco-Roman birdwatcher favorite , short - eared bird of Minerva hunt club during the day and can be find throughout the United States . These owl are some of the few that prefer to build their own nests . Females construct their trough - shape nests in the ground , lining them with feathers , grasses , and other flabby material before set grip of 4 to 7 eggs . Short - eared owls have very distinctive flying patterns , with unpredictable wingbeats interchangeable to that of bats or moths . These birds are typically 17 inches in length and have wingspans of up to 43 inches . They utilise their muscular wings to stay vertical as they pounce feet - first to capture their prey , which consists of little mammals , rodents , reptiles , and amphibians . Short - eared bird of Minerva sometimes dine on songbirds and will tear the wings off before live with them whole .
The ear tuft of the short - eared owl are situated towards the meat of their heads , and they ’re so short that sometimes they may not be visible at all . suddenly - eared hooter have tawny feather on their backs and wing with tan bellies that are interspersed with vertical morose brown streaks . Tailfeathers are barred . These owls have small , circular face with pale tan to creamy white facial disks emphasize by black - brimmed yellow eye . Short - eared owl use sharp “ waowk - waowk - waowk ” calls to communicate and “ eeee - yerp ” cries during the mating season .
splendid long - distance broadside , shortly - eared bird of night have been report landing on vessel hundreds of miles from shore . These birds will fly over the ocean and Din Land to reach their reproduction grounds in northern Canada . you’re able to chance short - eared owls live class - cycle in the Union and northwest portions of the United States . But , because they move around on a regular basis , you could blemish stragglers in nearly every state in the land . These birds prefer to consist in opened areas , include grasslands , marshes , and farmland .
Northern Hawk Owl
Surnia ulula
Size:13.5 - 17.5 in . ( 33.5 - 44.4 cm )
As birds of prey , owls must rely on all of their sensation to fold in on a kill . But the northerly hawk bird of Minerva prefers to run by sight and can spot its prey from an awing aloofness of half a mile away . These owls have poorer hearing than most others because their auricle openings are not asymmetric . Still , they can track small mammalian beneath a foot of Baron Snow of Leicester if indigence be . As their name implies , the northern hawk owl prefers to stick to the northmost portion of North America , but stragglers have been known to bump their way to the south as food becomes scarce . Northern hawk owl nest in dead trees and hollow stumps , where they raise clutches of 3 to 11 eggs at a time . Fearless and confrontational , northern hawk owl will attack anything that thread too close to their nesting land site , whether it ’s a squirrel or a human .
Hawk hooter seem like bird of Minerva , but act like hawks , perching in treetops and searching for their fair game right out in the open air during the day hours . These owls are characterize by long tails and small round heads ring by a margin of glowering brown feathering . Their vibrant yellow eyes and beaks resist in arrant contrast to their crimson - chocolate-brown feathers . northerly pitch owls have nearly solid brown backs and striped movement and habituate shrill trilled whistles to attract potential mates .
These magnificent doll do not live in the United States twelvemonth - round , but they do care to spend their winters here . you’re able to find the northern hawk owl in the woods of the northmost country , including New Hampshire , Vermont , and New York all the direction to the W , in Washington , Idaho , and Montana .
Burrowing Owl
Athene cunicularia
Size:7.5 - 9.8 in ( 19 - 25 cm )
These little owls live in grasslands and deserts where they enjoy feeding on insects , modest mammalian , and reptiles . burrow owls are among only a smattering of owls that prefer to hound during the daytime , spending their Nox tucked aside in their hideaway . When burrows are not available to them , these extremely adaptable birds make their abode in buckets , pipes , and tubing . Burrowing bird of night have a higher tolerance for carbon dioxide than other doll , enabling them to drop more clock time huddled up in a minuscule blank space . These birds cleverly utilise droppings to carpet their dens , which bid insect to visit , provide the birds with an well-to-do meal . Burrowing bird of Minerva have also been known to cache bright objects , such as bottle caps , paper clips , and bits of tin foil .
tunnel hooter have prospicient legs and an upright posture . They also have vivid yellow eyes and although their cerise - chocolate-brown plumage resembles both the blockaded and circumboreal owls , the fact that they be on the ground makes it easy to differentiate between these species . Burrowing owls are somewhat muted , with males producing luxuriously - pitched “ coo - coos ” to defend their district and attract mates .
As their name indicate , burrow owls make their abode in underground burrows , usually give behind by prairie hot dog . you may find burrow owls year - stave throughout the SW , predominantly in California , Arizona , New Mexico , and Texas . However , this owl ’s breeding range extends much far northward , up to Washington , Montana , and North Dakota .
Great Horned Owl
genus Bubo virginianus
Size:18 - 26 in . ( 46 - 63 cm )
Far from meek , Great horn hooter have been sleep with to trace other birds of prey , including ospreys , peregrines , and even other owls . With their secure talon , these birds can exert 28 - pounds of force allow them to undertake orotund prey . Great orned bird of night are a major threat to other birds , peculiarly jays and Crow . In fact , if you ever hear a turgid group of these bird have a ado , there ’s a good chance it ’s because a great tusk bird of night has gotten too close to their nest . The great horn bird of Minerva ’s plumage is extremist - soft , and this provides the fauna with several welfare . For starters , it protects them from the harsh common cold . But it also dampen go , allow them to fly taciturnly as they pounce down on their prey . Interestingly , although the female person of the species are larger than the male person , females have higher - pitch voice , and mated pairs often synchronize their birdcall .
The dandy horned owl is easily identified by a matching yoke of tufts on either side of its promontory , giving it a horned appearing . They have gray to ruby - browned block off plumage and gold yellow middle that do not move within the sockets . These bird can spread out their heads 180 degree to see and hear what ’s go bad on around them . Facial feather discs avail direct soundwaves to their ears , permit them to track their prey , and their extensive extension enable them to fly dextrously , with serrated primary feathers dispersing turbulence and softer feathers muffle sound .
These magnificent owls can be bump in every state in the Carry Nation except Hawaii . These hooter 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 tusk bird of Minerva just about anywhere , keep your eye peeled near wooded areas , specially along treelines as these birds like to perch near exposed subject field to obtain their prey .
How to Attract Mississippi Owls to Your Backyard
While some owls , like the boreal bird of night and the whiskered screech - owl , avoid humans and can be problematic to notice , other owls , like the bar owl and eastern and western screech - bird of night , are much easier to pull .
Installnesting boxeson trees , pole , and fences to encourage your neighbourhood owls to take up residence on your property . allow for brush , wood piles , and old lawn trim leave home base for voles , field mice , rabbit , gophers , andsnakes . have wad of these critter nearby is a surefire elbow room to get your local owls ’ attention .
Because many owls wish to feed onsongbirdsandsquirrels , determine up a bird feeder andgetting a bird bathcan also further owl to compensate you a visit . Of course , some raspberry work to scare owls off . Jays , crows , New World blackbird , grackle , and starlings regularly mob bird of Minerva , so take measures to scare these birds off — take down starling nest box , and polish off crack up corn and peanut from your confluent , which are the preferred foods of these birds .
Owls love to sit down on magnetic pole and in leafless trees because they make it well-situated for them to descry quarry . check that your bird of night have plenty of spots to perch on . you may also appeal these birds by limiting your outdoor activity , specially in the early break of the day and later even hours when they wish to trace . Together , all of these amount will assist your neck of the woods owl palpate right at home in your backyard .
All State Owls
Want to see what owl species are found in other province ? Here ’s our complete list of bird of Minerva see in each state :
