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Nothing is more exciting than spotting an bird of night in your backyard if you live in Montana . These brilliant birds of prey are a beautiful sight to behold . If you ’re an esurient birdwatcher , you ’re probably eager to identify which types of owls are impose your property .
There are 15 owl species find in Montana , include the Barred Owl , Barn Owl , Great Horned Owl , Northern Hawk Owl , Burrowing Owl , Boreal Owl , Long - Eared Owl , Western Screech - Owl , Great Gray Owl , Northern Pygmy Owl , Eastern Screech - Owl , Northern Saw - Whet Owl , Short - Eared Owl , Snowy Owl , and Flammulated Owl . While several of these owl species have their preferred mating and migratory ranges , it ’s potential to make out a vagabond or irrupting owl in areas outside their known district . If you see an hooter in Montana that is not on this leaning , consider yourself favorable !
Legend for the following owl rangemaps
The legend below can be used to aid you determine where each of the 15 owls of Montana lives during dissimilar parts of the yr .
The 15 Species of Owls in Montana
Barred Owl
genus Strix varia
Order : Strigiformes
Family : Strigidae
Legend for the following owl rangemaps
Size:19 - 22 in . ( 48.25 - 56 atomic number 96 )
original of camouflage , exclude bird of Minerva can be knotty to spot . fortuitously , their tacky hoot call “ Who cooks for you ? Who make for you all ? ” are gentle to hear . Barred bird of Minerva prefer to dwell in forests where they can track down rabbits , squirrels , and even raccoons . These owls control a serious population manna from heaven in the 20th century , expand their range to include forestland in the westerly states . bar owls incline to stay nigh to home throughout their life , often only traveling around a 6 - mile r . Like barn owls , bar owls are monogamous and do most of their search at night .
With their mystifying brown eyes and aristocratical round of drinks grimace , barred owls look exactly as you would expect owls to look . These skirt are covered in red - brownish plume with snowy horizontal stripe or bars . Barred owls are most usually spotted on the sharpness of forests at fall , where they can easy situate their fair game .
Once relegated to southeastern Canada and New England , the barred owl expanded westwards . These owls can now be establish in constituent of Minnesota , Nebraska , Kansas , and Oklahoma . Barred bird of night have become quite adaptable , and can be blot in urban areas as well as rural regions . These birds are super territorial , with paired pairs pose into hoot matches with outsiders in order of magnitude to defend their homes .
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
Family : Tytonidae
Size:12.5 - 16 in . ( 32 - 40 cm )
easy discern by their wan heart - shaped faces , barn owls are some of the most widespread owls in the earth . These owls boom in deserts and grasslands , but can even be found in polar regions . Barn hooter are specially common on farm , where they like to run for theatre of operations mice among the crops in the morning and evening , and where they can take tax shelter in barns during the daytime . With their serrated wings , these awful vulture take flight noiselessly as they go in for the kill . Barn owls are monogamous , mating for life . They do not build nests but prefer to lay their eggs in the hollow of trees . The amount of food these doll incur has a direct impact on how many eggs they lay — the more voles , bum , and shrews they ware , the more owlets in their brood .
Barn bird of Minerva are quite gangling liken to other hooter . They have magnanimous hazel to brown eyes set in concave , heart - shaped human face that are surrounded by a touchy synopsis of pale brown feather . Barn owls are milk white in people of colour with tan and rust dark-brown feathers on their vertebral column and wings . These bird of night do not hoot but rather prefer to communicate via scream .
you’re able to observe the barn hooter in all but the topmost region of the U.S. Even though these birds are common throughout the nation , their universe is dwindle away somewhat due to domicile loss . Barn bird of Minerva repose year - round as far south as Texas and Arizona , as far east as Pennsylvania , and all across the Pacific Northwest .
Great Horned Owl
genus Bubo virginianus
Size:18 - 26 in . ( 46 - 63 cm )
Far from meek , Great Horned owl have been known to run other birds of prey , including ospreys , peregrine falcon , and even other owl . With their substantial talons , these birds can wield 28 - pounds of force out provide them to tackle larger prey . Great orned owl are a major threat to other birds , especially jay and crows . In fact , if you ever try a large group of these birds making a dither , there ’s a good chance it ’s because a great horned owl has have too near to their nests . The dandy horned owl ’s plume is radical - sonant , and this provide the animals with several benefit . For starters , it protects them from the abrasive cold . But it also smother voice , allowing them to vanish silently as they swoop down on their fair game . Interestingly , although the females of the coinage are large than the male , females have higher - pitch voices , and mated couplet often synchronize their calls .
The great tusk owl is easily name by a matching brace of tufts on either side of its head , give it a horn visual aspect . They have gray to red - browned barred plumage and golden yellow eyes that do not move within the sockets . These birds can spread out their head 180 degrees to see and get word what ’s going on around them . Facial feather discs help direct soundwaves to their ears , allow them to track their quarry , and their wide wing enable them to vaporize deftly , with serrate primary feathers dispersing Sturm und Drang and subdued plumage muffling sound .
These glorious owls can be found in every state in the Carry Nation except Hawaii . These owls are aboriginal to the Americas , and they ’re extremely adaptable , dwelling in forested , rural , and urban areas alike . While you ’re nonimmune to see a bang-up horned owl just about anywhere , keep your heart peeled near wooded areas , especially along treelines as these birds like to alight near open field to receive their quarry .
Northern Hawk Owl
Surnia ulula
Size:13.5 - 17.5 in . ( 33.5 - 44.4 curium )
As birds of prey , owls must trust on all of their senses to close in on a kill . But the northern hawk owl prefers to hunt by slew and can spot its quarry from an amazing distance of half a mile away . These bird of night have poorer earreach than most others because their ear openings are not asymmetrical . Still , they can track small mammalian beneath a foot of Charles Percy Snow if need be . As their name implies , the northerly hawk bird of Minerva prefers to stick to the northmost portion of North America , but stragglers have been know to find out their way south as food for thought becomes scarce . Northern hawk owls nest in dead trees and hollow stump , where they recruit batch of 3 to 11 bollock at a metre . Fearless and confrontational , northern mortarboard owls will attack anything that wanders too close to their nesting sites , whether it ’s a squirrel or a human .
war hawk bird of Minerva look like hooter , but playact like war hawk , perching in treetops and searching for their prey right out in the open during the daytime hours . These bird of night are characterized by long tooshie and little round head surrounded by a border of black browned feathers . Their vibrant chicken eye and beaks stand in pure contrast to their flushed - browned plume . Northern hawk owls have nearly solid browned backs and striped fronts and use shrill rolling whistles to pull possible match .
These magnificent birds do not live in the United States year - round , but they do like to spend their winters here . you may detect the northerly war hawk owl in the timber of the northmost states , including New Hampshire , Vermont , and New York all the mode to the west , in Washington , Idaho , and Montana .
Burrowing Owl
Athene cunicularia
Size:7.5 - 9.8 in ( 19 - 25 cm )
These small owl live in grasslands and deserts where they enjoy feeding on insects , small mammals , and reptiles . Burrowing owls are among only a smattering of owl that prefer to hunt during the day , spend their night tuck away in their lair . When tunnel are not available to them , these highly adaptable bird make their family in buckets , tobacco pipe , and tube . burrow bird of night have a high margin for carbon dioxide than other birds , enabling them to expend more time cower up in a small blank space . These Bronx cheer cleverly expend dung to carpet their dens , which invite insects to visit , providing the skirt with an leisurely meal . tunnel owl have also been known to amass shiny objects , such as feeding bottle caps , newspaper clip , and moment of tin can transparency .
Burrowing owls have long legs and an upright military posture . They also have vivid yellow eyes and although their crimson - brown plumage resembles both the barred and circumboreal owls , the fact that they go on the solid ground make it easygoing to differentiate between these coinage . burrow owls are pretty quiet , with males producing richly - deliver “ coo - coo ” to represent their territories and attract mate .
As their name suggests , burrowing owls make their homes in underground burrows , ordinarily left behind by prairie hotdog . you could regain burrowing owls year - round of golf throughout the southwest , predominantly in California , Arizona , New Mexico , and Texas . However , this bird of night ’s breeding range extends much far northward , up to Washington , Montana , and North Dakota .
Boreal Owl
Aegolius funereus
Size:9 - 10 in . ( 22.9 - 25.5 centimetre )
little and elusive , boreal owl show the most intimate dimorphism of any other owl , with females growing twice as large as the males of the species . Boreal owls are difficult to cross down because they roost in different Tree every Clarence Day . They ’re also restrained , although males will begin hoot at nighttime in the late wintertime and spring in social club to draw a mate . Boreal owls are very small , about the size of a robin redbreast or blue jay . Like most other owls , their skull are crooked , with one pinna opening perched higher than the other . This unique design enable boreal bird of night to accurately judge both tallness and distance when close in on their prey .
With their round face and reddened - brown feather , circumboreal bird of night resemble block up owls , although they ’re much small . These owls have large bright yellow eyes , giving them a surprised expression . As their name suggests , boreal bird of Minerva favour to reside in boreal forests full of spruce , pine , and fir tree tree diagram . circumboreal owls are most active at night when they track down belittled mammal and insects .
you’re able to find boreal hooter in Washington , Idaho , and Montana , though their range goes as far south as the northmost region of New Mexico . Boreal bird of Minerva have sex to perch in coniferous tree and evergreen trees . disforestation has led to a decay in habitat for these shy owls . But , while they can be tough to find , they have been known to use nesting box seat , so installing a few on your property can greatly increase your fortune of spotting one .
Long-Eared Owl
Asio otus
Size:14 - 16 in . ( 35 - 40 cm )
At 15 inch in distance and with an impressive wingspread of 39 inches , the long - eared owl has been known to slip nest out from Jay and crows to raise their own young . This somewhat elusive hooter can be tough to find , preferring to assay shelter in dense woodlands . And , unfortunately , its population has refuse 91 % since 1970 . Unlike most owls , long - eared owls are not very territorial and prefer to swear on their camouflage to conceal from potential predators . When confronted , most long - eared bird of night simply aviate away . Because these Bronx cheer can be spooky , they can be hard for birdwatchers to track down . But if you are favorable enough to descry a long - eared owl , keep your eyes pare for more — long - eared bird of night roost in groups of 6 to 50 .
At first glance , the long - eared owl greatly resembles the great horn owl . But a close inspection reveals that long - eared owls have a classifiable vanadium - shaped feather pattern on their face . The tufts of feathers that make up their cheek disc besiege bright orange heart , giving them a surprised expression . The second set of feather tussock sitting on top of their headway gives them their iconic long - eared appearance These are lanky bird that have tan brass with variegate plumage in shade of brown , tan , gray , and white-hot .
Long - eared owls survive year - round in Wyoming , Nevada , Colorado , Arizona , New York , Michigan , and Wisconsin . During the reproduction season , these birds embark farther north to Montana , North Dakota , and Minnesota . These birds can be spotted in all but the southernmost portion of Florida , Alabama , Mississippi , Louisiana , and Texas . Long - eared owls favor to live in undecided space that have dull cluster of disperse tree , providing them with a safe place to try tax shelter as they hunt for modest mammalian .
Western Screech-Owl
Megascops kennicottii
Size:7.5 - 9.5 in . ( 19 - 24 cm )
These are little owls , maxing out at just 9 inch in length and with wingspread of roughly 24 inch . But , do n’t let their small height delude you . These birds are serious predators , regularly seeking out prey many times their own size . While western screech - owls feed on rodent , small raspberry , earthworms , and other bugs , they ’ve also been watch feed on lapin . westerly screech - owls like to sit close to where limb meet the tree trunk , so they can huddle together up against them for camouflage themselves from predators and prey . These are opportunistic predators who care an comfortable repast , but , when learn , they will also chase their prey down , sometimes grabbing birds and insects midflight .
westerly screeching - owls await much like eastern shrieking - owls , with grownup morphs in Great Plains , Mexican , Mojave , brown Pacific , and gray Pacific colorations . They have gray and brown plume with no speck of red . Western shriek - owls have small-scale , rotund head with capitulum tufts and pictorial scandalmongering eyes . perverse to what their name would run you to trust , western screech - bird of Minerva normally do n’t screaming . Instead , they apply scant whistles and trills to pass on with each other .
These owls are highly adaptable , arrive at their homes in a variety of regions , including deserts , grasslands , forests , and urban areas . you’re able to find westerly screaming - owls all across the west coast , drifting in a bit to Idaho , Wyoming , Utah , Colorado , New Mexico , and parts of Texas . If you last in one of these regions , essay installing a nesting box to attract a westerly screaming - owl to your backyard .
Great Gray Owl
genus Strix nebulosa
Size:25 - 33 in . ( 63.5 - 84 atomic number 96 )
At 33 - column inch long , great grizzly owls are the largest species of owl in the world in terms of duration , with females being slenderly big than males . These birds have an impressive wingspread averaging around 5 feet . But , even though this owl seem quite large , it in reality is n’t that with child — it ’s mostly feathers . Unlike great horn owls , which can count up to 5.5 pound sign , majuscule grayish owls are plod out with dense plume and weigh just 3.75 pounds . Their abstemious weight unit allows them to fly restfully as they scour the forest floor in search of food for thought . Their asymmetrical ear openings enable them to track their prey while their powerful feet and talons can clear through densely - packed C to capture rodent and small mammals tunneling beneath it .
With its grey feathering and haunting expression , the great gray owl has also been dubbed the Phantom of the North . This brand to brown - grey bird of night has a sooty coming into court with gold icteric optic and large phonograph recording surround them , giving them an appropriately wise to reflexion . Just beneath the bird ’s beak lies a white “ bowtie ” that sharpen to rounded end . The great grey owl employ deep , rhythmical “ whoo - whoos ” to guard its territories and communicate with its family .
Great grey owls can be witness class - round in boreal timberland in the northernmost states . Look for these beautiful birds of target in Minnesota , Michigan , Wisconsin , and New York . You ’re also probable to discern them in California , Oregon , Idaho , and even part of Wyoming and Utah .
Northern Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium gnoma
Size:6.5 - 7.3 in ( 16.5 - 18.5 centimetre )
These owls are a favorite among birdwatchers because they prefer to trace during the day . This , coupled with their courageous nature , make them prosperous to espy compared to more spooky member of the mintage . Northern pygmy bird of night are broadly speaking fearless of mankind , and will happily nest in urban areas . This is likely due to the fact that humans define up raspberry feeders to attract songbird — the northern pigmy owl ’s favorite food . These owls still-hunt their prey and salt away their leftovers on thorn and capitulum to come back to by and by . Northern pygmy owls are such a threat to littler birds that wrens , jay , and even hummingbird will pack them to chase them by . Though these bird are only about as long as a butterknife , they ’ve been known to attack fair game much larger than themselves , including chicken . Because northern pigmy owls miss the substantial facial platter postulate to improve hearing , they swear on their bang-up eyesight to cross their prey .
At just 7 inches farsighted , northern pygmy hooter are quite small , but do n’t allow their size fool you . These are problematic , tenacious minuscule skirt ! Adults are gray , brown , or red - brown in color with clean spotted heads and dark wings , derriere , and breasts . Like ferruginous pygmy owls , northerly pygmy owls have dark spots on the backs of their heads that look like another circle of optic . This help to confuse both prey and predators . The good way to find a northerly Pigmy owl is to track its high up - pitched tooting calls .
These bird of night are somewhat adaptable , motivate into cityscapes as their native mountain forest become less available . Unfortunately , however , these owl do n’t often make their homes in nesting box , so these are an ineffectual means of attract them . you may find northern pygmy bird of night throughout the westerly nation , in California , Oregon , and Idaho , and farther south in Colorado , Arizona , and New Mexico .
Eastern Screech-Owl
Megascops genus Asio
Size:6 - 10 in . ( 16 - 25 cm )
Featuring 5 race , eastern screech - bird of night are small birds maxing out at just under 10 - inches in length . These bird of Minerva are monogamous and less nervous than other owls , oftentimes live on in nesting boxes and even using birdbaths to wash up . Eastern screech - owls are typically well-to-do to spot because they feed on songbirds during the daytime . This little raptor ’s size proves shoddy . These are extremely territorial birds , even from a young years . Young eastern screech - owls will contend amongst themselves for food for thought , and may even kill the smallest and weakest of their sibling — an act known as siblicide that is common in fowl of prey .
Eastern screech - owls are poor , stocky birds with small heads and square tails . These owls take place in gray-headed morphs and red ( or rufous ) morphs , with some bird of Minerva demo brown feather . The color of each easterly screech - bird of night depends on the type of forest it resides in , as its coloring helps to camouflage it from likely predatory animal . These are very vocal owls that use trilling call option to attract mates and put across with their syndicate . Their typical whinny - same shrieking are grueling to pretermit !
easterly screech - owls choose to live in timberland but are often felicitous to live in urban area , too . you may find the eastern screeching - owl from Vermont to Montana , in a broad range sweeping all the way down to Texas and back across the states to Florida . These birds can be found in wooded , rural , and suburban preferences .
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Aegolius acadicus
Size:8 - 8.5 in . ( 20.3 - 21.5 cm )
These owls are inadequate and stocky . At just 8 inches in distance and with a wingspan of 22 inches , northerly adage - whet owls are among the smallest owls in the United States . northerly power saw - whet bird of Minerva like to prey on deer mice , using their sharp beak to tear their prey into little pieces , breaking up a single mouse into several repast . Because these owls are nocturnal , and because they ’re so small , they can be difficult to chase . But their acute cries make it soft to site them in their woodland homes . Northern saw - whet owl are mostly solitary creatures , only socializing with their mates . Females have been known to have two mates , leaving the first to rear a brood with the second . These hooter have porphyrin pigments in their feathers , and when illuminated with a UV luminosity , the ventral side of the flank shows a atomic number 10 pinkish colour . This helps researchers determine an owl ’s age .
Named because its call sound like a byword being sharpened on a whetstone , saw - whet owls have small straits and computed tomography - like faces with relatively large yellow eyes . With rust - colored backs , breasts , and wings , northern saw - whet owls have espy heads and distinctive Y - shaped markings on their faces . These hooter use a variety of vocalizations to transmit . They ’re most well identified by their shrill “ too - too - too ” Call , which they use to attract fellow . The cries of northerly saw - whet bird of Minerva are so loud that they can be heard nearly 1,000 feet away .
One of the most common bird of night in the U.S. , the northerly proverb - whet prefers to dwell in heap timber . 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 way through to Maine . These bird of Minerva can be seen in other soil , too , during non - breeding times . It ’s not unheard of to see northern saw - whet bird of Minerva throughout the midwest , including Kansas , Missouri , and Illinois .
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeus
Size:14.5 - 15 in . ( 37 - 38 cm )
A definitive birdwatcher best-loved , short - eared owls hunting during the daytime and can be determine throughout the United States . These owl are some of the few that prefer to make their own nests . Females fabricate their bowl - shaped nests in the ground , lining them with feathers , grasses , and other indulgent materials before lay grip of 4 to 7 eggs . Short - eared hooter have very distinctive flying pattern , with temporary wingbeats similar to that of bats or moths . These bird are typically 17 inches in length and have wingspans of up to 43 inches . They use their potent wings to appease upright as they swoop foot - first to capture their prey , which consists of small mammals , rodent , reptilian , and amphibian . Short - eared owls sometimes dine on songbirds and will tear the wing off before unsay them whole .
The spike tufts of the short - eared bird of Minerva are deposit towards the center of their heads , and they ’re so short that sometimes they may not be visible at all . Short - eared hooter have tawny plume on their backs and wings with tan belly that are intersperse with perpendicular dark brownish streak . Tailfeathers are barred . These owls have small , circular typeface with pale tan to creamy livid facial disc accented by dark - brimmed yellow eye . Short - eared hooter use sharp “ waowk - waowk - waowk ” calls to communicate and “ eeee - yerp ” cries during the mating season .
Excellent long - space fliers , short - eared bird of Minerva have been reported landing on watercraft C of miles from shoring . These birds will pilot over the sea and land to strive their rearing grounds in northerly Canada . you could determine short - eared owls living year - round in the N and northwestern portions of the United States . But , because they trip regularly , you’re able to spot stragglers in nearly every state in the nation . These birds prefer to dwell in open areas , include grasslands , marshes , and farmland .
Snowy Owl
Bubo scandiacus
Size:20.5 - 27.9 in . ( 52 - 71 centimetre )
Snowy owls are the big owls , with adults averaging between 3 and 5 Ezra Loomis Pound . Their dense plume make them heavy , but it also reserve them to withstand the cold temperature of the Arctic tundra . These are powerful skirt at rough 28 inches retentive with a wingspread of 57 inches . They ’re belligerent , too , using their penetrative talon and unassailable feet to fight back their territorial dominion from vulture and challenger . These owls hunt almost exclusively during the daytime and can eat up more than 1,600 lemmings in a year . Their ravening appetites can have a annihilating encroachment on their solid food supplying , but these skilled fliers are uncoerced and able to fly in the south in lookup of prey . snow-white owl populations have declined 64 % since 1970 due to illegal hunt and fomite collisions , as well as climate modification .
juvenile of the species have chocolate-brown and black markings over a theme of white plumage . As these birds age , they lose most of their markings . At maturity , males will be almost pure ashen , with females retaining some of their patternings . These owls have husky voices and use a motley of calls , the most frequent of which is a rhythmical “ krooh - krooh - krooh - krooh ” .
Snowy owls do n’t subsist in the United States all year long , however , they do winter in the northern states . you may see snowy owl from Washington all the fashion across to Maine . In years when their preferred prey was especially limited , snowy owls were sighted as far south as Florida , so it ’s possible to fleck one of these beauties no matter where you are in the U.S.
Flammulated Owl
Psiloscops flammeolus
Size:6 - 6.5 in . ( 15 - 17 cm )
Though these owl only measure around 6 inch in length , they have a with child wingspread for their size , measure 14 - inches from wingtip to wingtip . Their farsighted , powerful wing enable them to fly quickly between the treetops of their timber homes . These owls eat bugs almost exclusively , preferring moths and butterflies above other insects . In fact , this propensity for insects may account for why these bird of Minerva migrate south during the winter months . Flammulated owls are monogamous , choose one mate for life . Mated pairs raise 2 to 4 owlets at a time in nests that are not describe with any sort of bedding material . Unlike most owl , who prefer to keep to themselves , flammulated hooter form at large colonies — likely for shelter since they ’re so minor .
Featuring feathering in shades of gray and dark-brown with rust red hint along its wings , and distinctive fire - like markings on its nerve ( hence its name ) , this owl is unbelievably well - camouflage . The best elbow room to see a flammulated bird of night is by take heed to its call . The flammulated bird of Minerva has a much lower - sales talk call than you would require from such a small hooter . This dissemble as a defense chemical mechanism , flim-flam potential predatory animal into thinking they ’re much big than they really are .
When it comes to tracking down flammulated owls , birdwatchers have their body of work cut out for them . Because these bird of Minerva choose to spend their time perch on the tops of magniloquent conifers searching for bugs , they can be unmanageable to find . These bird transmigrate through west Texas and New Mexico and have a scatter breeding reach that includes parts of California , Oregon , Washington , Idaho , Nevada , Utah , and Colorado , where they live from late April or early May to August .
How to Attract Montana Owls to Your Backyard
While some owls , like the boreal owl and the whiskered screech - owl , head off humans and can be tough to find , other hooter , like the debar owl and eastern and western screech - owl , are much well-off to attract .
Installnesting boxeson tree , poles , and fences to encourage your neighborhood owls to take up abode on your property . Leaving brush , wood piles , and former lawn trimmings allow homes for vole , field shiner , hare , gophers , andsnakes . take plenty of these critters nearby is a surefire manner to get your local owls ’ attention .
Because many bird of Minerva like to feed onsongbirdsandsquirrels , setting up a bird confluent andgetting a bird bathcan also boost hooter to pay you a visit . Of naturally , some birds work to scare owl off . Jays , Corvus , blackbirds , grackles , and starlings regularly pack owl , so take measures to scare these birds out — take down starling cuddle boxes , and remove cracked corn and peanuts from your confluent , which are the preferred foods of these birds .
Owls jazz to baby-sit on poles and in leafless trees because they make it easier for them to spot prey . ensure your owls have wad of spots to perch on . you’re able to also draw these birds by limit your outside activity , specially in the early morning and previous evening hours when they like to hunt down . Together , all of these measures will help your neighborhood hooter feel right on at home base in your backyard .
All State Owls
need to see what owl species are found in other country ? Here ’s our complete list of bird of Minerva observe in each nation :
