Owls are unique birds of prey categorized by their solitary and nocturnal life, upright posture, broad face, special hearing and vision, and feathers adapted for silent flight. Bridle Trails has several species of regularly occurring owls, and a few that are a rare sight. The two main owls seen in the park are Barred Owls and Great Horned Owls. Barn Owls used to be seen in the park and nearby, but sightings have declined with development and they are probably no longer in the park. The much smaller Northern Saw-whet Owl and Northern Pygmy Owl have been sighted or heard off and on in the park over the last 20 years.
Barred Owl
The Barred Owl is the species most likely to be seen in daytime, and they occasionally swoop down to whack pedestrians on the head in the park and elsewhere. They nest in the park and in nearby neighborhoods and have a distinctive ‘who cooks for you’ hooting call.
Great Horned Owl
The Great Horned Owl is our largest species and is also common in the park. These owls are aggressive and large enough to catch and kill animals the size of skunks, hawks, and domestic cats, usually hunting at night. The deep hooting call is often heard at night by immediate neighbors to the park.
More information:
To learn more, check out this Audubon webpage of cool owl facts.
For the owl lover, visit this website where you can find artwork, information, clips, and more.
Download a barred owl or great horned owl coloring page from Super Coloring.
Watch this Deep Look video about owl feathers.
Practice your “owl eyes” with this activity in the park.
Check out an overview of birds in the park or a bird species list for the park
Photo credits: Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren, Don Sniegowski (Wikipedia Commons).