Barred owl

You can often hear the loud hoots of the barred owl atop Mt. Young and along the trail in the Garry oak woodland.

 

You can often hear the loud hoots of this forest owl atop Mt. Young. Listen for the signature call: A series of clear notes and a final descending note: hoo-hoo-hoo, hoo-hoo-ho-hoooooaw (who cooks for you, who cooks for you all). Mostly nocturnal, they hunt small mammals such as voles, deer mice, and shrews.

These owls are stocky, with short tails and broad wings. They have charming faces with large, dark brown eyes, a distinctive hooked gold bill, and rounded heads with white rings. The upper part of the chest has a crosswise barred pattern, and the lower breast vertical dark brown streaks on white.