Crow’s Nest: Barred owl

By Daniel Barringer, Preserve Manager. Photo by Christina Queen.

Preserve neighbor and Force of Nature volunteer Christina Queen captured this photo of a Barred Owl (Strix varia) in a tree outside her window, right next to Crow’s Nest Preserve. You can see the bars on the bird’s chest which are the source of its name.

We’ve been hearing their call “Who cooks for you, who cooks for you-all?” through the winter, even sometimes during the daytime in the Warwick Woods section of the preserve. (Our volunteer coordinator and bird guru Deb Beer says that this behavior, calling during the day, is not uncommon especially among juvenile birds.)

We’re excited to see this photo since we see them much less often than we hear them. This weekend is the Great Backyard Bird Count. Add Barred Owl to the list!