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Nothing is more exciting than pick out an bird of Minerva in your backyard if you live in Nebraska . These glorious birds of target are a beautiful sight to behold . If you ’re an zealous birdwatcher , you ’re likely eager to key out which types of owls are visiting your property .
There are 9 owl species found in Nebraska , include the Northern Saw - Whet Owl , Eastern Screech - Owl , Short - Eared Owl , Snowy Owl , Great Horned Owl , Long - Eared Owl , Barred Owl , Burrowing Owl , and Barn Owl . While several of these owl species have their favorite sexual union and migratory ranges , it ’s potential to spot a aimless or flare up owl in areas outside their know territories . If you see an bird of night in Nebraska that is not on this list , regard yourself favorable !
Legend for the following owl rangemaps
The caption below can be used to aid you determine where each of the 9 owls of Nebraska lives during different parts of the year .
The 9 Species of Owls in Nebraska
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Aegolius acadicus
Order : order Strigiformes
house : Strigidae
Legend for the following owl rangemaps
Size:8 - 8.5 in . ( 20.3 - 21.5 cm )
These owls are short and heavyset . At just 8 inches in length and with a wingspread of 22 inches , northern saw - whet owls are among the smallest owls in the United States . northerly power saw - whet bird of night like to prey on deer mice , using their shrewd bill to tear their prey into modest pieces , break up a exclusive mouse into several repast . Because these owls are nocturnal , and because they ’re so small , they can be difficult to track . But their sharp cries make it soft to settle them in their forest homes . northerly saw - whet owls are mostly solitary creatures , only socializing with their mate . Females have been known to have two mates , leaving the first to raise a brood with the second . These hooter have porphyrin pigment in their feathers , and when straighten out with a UV light , the ventral side of the wings shows a neon pinkish vividness . This facilitate investigator limit an bird of Minerva ’s age .
Named because its call sounds like a saw being sharpened on a whetstone , proverb - whet owls have little heads and cat - comparable face with relatively large yellow eyes . With rusting - colored book binding , breasts , and offstage , northerly proverb - whet owls have blemish head and classifiable Y - shaped marking on their faces . These bird of Minerva use a diverseness of vocalizations to convey . They ’re most easily discover by their strident “ too - too - too ” call , which they use to attract better half . The cry of northerly byword - whet hooter are so loud that they can be listen nearly 1,000 feet away .
One of the most common owls in the U.S. , the northerly sawing machine - whet prefers to dwell in stack timber . They can be retrieve yr - round in California , New Mexico , Utah , and Colorado , and in the northeasterly land , Minnesota , Wisconsin , Michigan , New York , and all the way through to Maine . These hooter can be seen in other territories , too , during non - breeding times . It ’s not unheard of to see northerly saw - whet owls throughout the midwestern United States , including Kansas , Missouri , and Illinois .
Eastern Screech-Owl
Megascops asio
Size:6 - 10 in . ( 16 - 25 cm )
boast 5 subspecies , eastern screech - owls are small birds maxing out at just under 10 - in in length . These owls are monogamous and less skittish than other hooter , frequently living in nuzzle boxes and even using birdbaths to wash up . Eastern shrieking - owls are typically easy to descry because they raven on songbirds during the daytime . This small bird of prey ’s size proves deceptive . These are highly territorial birds , even from a young years . immature easterly screech - owls will fight amongst themselves for intellectual nourishment , and may even kill the smallest and weak of their sibling — an routine known as siblicide that is common in snort of prey .
easterly scream - owls are inadequate , heavyset birds with small-scale heads and square tail assembly . These owls occur in gray morphs and red ( or rufous ) morphs , with some owl exhibiting dark-brown feather . The colouration of each eastern screech - owl look on the type of forest it resides in , as its coloring helps to camouflage it from likely predators . These are very vocal bird of night that apply trill call to attract checkmate and transmit with their family . Their distinctive whinny - same screeches are hard to miss !
easterly screech - bird of Minerva prefer to experience in woods but are often happy to dwell in urban areas , too . you could find the eastern screech - owl from Vermont to Montana , in a broad range of a function drag in all the way down to Texas and back across the states to Florida . These birds can be found in wooded , rural , and suburban configurations .
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeus
Size:14.5 - 15 in . ( 37 - 38 atomic number 96 )
A classic birdwatcher favorite , short - eared owls search during the daylight and can be found throughout the United States . These owls are some of the few that choose to build their own nest . Females reconstruct their bowl - shaped nests in the land , line them with feathers , grasses , and other gentle material before put clench of 4 to 7 testis . dead - eared owl have very distinctive flight patterns , with irregular wingbeats similar to that of bats or moth . These birds are typically 17 inches in distance and have wingspans of up to 43 inches . They expend their powerful wings to stay unsloped as they pounce feet - first to capture their prey , which consists of small mammalian , rodent , reptile , and amphibians . Short - eared bird of night sometimes dine on songbird and will tear the wing off before get down them whole .
The auricle tussock of the short - eared owl are situate towards the heart of their heads , and they ’re so scant that sometimes they may not be seeable at all . curtly - eared owls have tawny plume on their binding and wings with tan bellies that are interlard with upright coloured brownish streaks . Tailfeathers are block off . These hooter have diminished , circular faces with wan tan to creamy white facial disks punctuate by blackened - brim yellow eyes . Short - eared bird of Minerva employ crisp “ waowk - waowk - waowk ” call to pass on and “ eeee - yerp ” cries during the mating time of year .
Excellent long - space fliers , short - eared owls have been reported landing on watercraft hundreds of mile from shore . These bird will fly over the sea and state to reach their breeding grounds in northerly Canada . you’re able to notice suddenly - eared owls living twelvemonth - bout in the north and northwesterly portions of the United States . But , because they travel regularly , you’re able to espy stragglers in nearly every United States Department of State in the commonwealth . These birds prefer to populate in unresolved area , including grassland , marshes , and farmland .
Snowy Owl
Bubo scandiacus
Size:20.5 - 27.9 in . ( 52 - 71 cm )
Snowy bird of Minerva are the great bird of Minerva , with adults average between 3 and 5 hammer . Their heavy plumage makes them weightier , but it also allows them to hold out the cold temperatures of the Arctic tundra . These are powerful birds at roughly 28 inches prospicient with a wingspread of 57 column inch . They ’re aggressive , too , using their sharp talons and strong infantry to defend their dominion from predators and competitors . These bird of night William Holman Hunt almost exclusively during the daytime and can eat on more than 1,600 lemmings in a year . Their voracious appetites can have a crushing encroachment on their food supply , but these skilled fliers are uncoerced and able to fly south in search of prey . snow-covered bird of night universe have declined 64 % since 1970 due to illegal hunting and vehicle collision , as well as climate variety .
juvenile person of the species have brownish and dark markings over a radical of white feather . As these birds age , they lose most of their marking . At matureness , male will be almost utter blank , with females retaining some of their patternings . These hooter have hoarse voice and use a variety show 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 yr long , however , they do wintertime in the northerly states . you’re able to see snowy owls from Washington all the way across to Maine . In years when their preferred fair game was especially special , snow-white hooter were sight as far south as Florida , so it ’s possible to spot one of these beauties no matter where you are in the U.S.
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Size:18 - 26 in . ( 46 - 63 cm )
Far from meek , Great Horned bird of night have been known to hunt other skirt of quarry , including ospreys , peregrines , and even other owls . With their unattackable talon , these bird can maintain 28 - pounds of force allow for them to undertake larger prey . Great orned hooter are a major threat to other bird , particularly jays and crows . In fact , if you ever hear a big grouping of these birds making a bicker , there ’s a good chance it ’s because a nifty horned owl has gotten too close-fitting to their nests . The great tusk bird of Minerva ’s plume is extremist - soft , and this provides the animate being with several benefits . For appetizer , it protect them from the harsh coldness . But it also dull voice , allowing them to fly silently as they swoop down on their target . Interestingly , although the female of the species are prominent than the male , females have higher - sky vox , and mated pairs often synchronize their calls .
The not bad horned owl is easily identified by a matching pair of tussock on either side of its head , giving it a horned visual aspect . They have greyish to cherry - brownish barred plumage and golden yellow centre that do not move within the socket . These dame can rotate their head 180 level to see and get wind what ’s going on around them . Facial feather platter facilitate direct soundwaves to their spike , allowing them to track their quarry , and their wide wing enable them to fly dextrously , with serrate primary feathers dot turbulence and softer feathers muffling sound .
These magnificent owl can be found in every country in the country except Hawaii . These owls are native to the Americas , and they ’re highly adaptable , dwell in forested , rural , and urban orbit alike . While you ’re apt to see a great horned owl just about anywhere , keep your eyes flake off near wooded areas , especially along treelines as these bird care to roost near exposed field of battle to find their fair game .
Long-Eared Owl
Asio genus Otus
Size:14 - 16 in . ( 35 - 40 centimetre )
At 15 inches in length and with an telling wingspread of 39 inches , the long - eared bird of Minerva has been know to steal nest away from jays and crows to raise their own young . This somewhat elusive owl can be tough to find , prefer to seek protection in dense woodland . And , alas , its universe has declined 91 % since 1970 . Unlike most owls , long - eared owls are not very territorial and prefer to swear on their disguise to veil from possible predators . When confronted , most long - eared bird of night simply fly away . Because these birds can be skittish , they can be problematical for birdwatchers to cut through down . But if you are lucky enough to spot a long - eared owl , keep your eyes peeled for more — long - eared bird of Minerva roost in groups of 6 to 50 .
At first glance , the long - eared hooter greatly resembles the great horned owl . But a closer inspection discover that long - eared bird of night possess a distinctive V - forge feather pattern on their face . The tufts of feathers that make up their look disks surround bright orange middle , give them a surprised expression . The second set of feather tuft sitting on top of their heads yield them their iconic long - eared appearance These are rangy boo that have tan face with variegated feather in shade of brown , tan , gray , and white .
Long - eared hooter live year - circle in Wyoming , Nevada , Colorado , Arizona , New York , Michigan , and Wisconsin . During the fosterage season , these birds hazard farther north to Montana , North Dakota , and Minnesota . These shuttlecock can be spotted in all but the southernmost percentage of Florida , Alabama , Mississippi , Louisiana , and Texas . Long - eared hooter opt to live in open quad that have dense clustering of scattered trees , providing them with a safe place to seek tax shelter as they hound for diminished mammalian .
Barred Owl
genus Strix varia
Size:19 - 22 in . ( 48.25 - 56 curium )
Masters of disguise , bar owls can be ruffianly to spot . Fortunately , their garish hooting yell “ Who cooks for you ? Who cooks for you all ? ” are easy to hear . Barred hooter choose to inhabit in forest where they can get over down rabbits , squirrels , and even racoon . These owls saw a serious population boom in the 20th C , expanding their scope to admit forestland in the westerly states . block off owls tend to remain near to home throughout their life , often only traveling around a 6 - Admiralty mile radius . Like barn bird of night , block owls are monogamous and do most of their hunting at dark .
With their deep dark-brown eyes and gentle unit of ammunition faces , debar owls look exactly as you would expect owls to reckon . These birds are cover in red - brown feathers with white horizontal stripe or bars . bar owls are most commonly spotted on the edges of forests at crepuscle , where they can easy place their prey .
Once relegated to southeastern Canada and New England , the barred owl expanded westward . These owls can now be found in parts of Minnesota , Nebraska , Kansas , and Oklahoma . bar bird of night have become quite adaptable , and can be fleck in urban surface area as well as rural region . These Bronx cheer are extremely territorial , with mated pairs begin into hooting matches with foreigner so as to defend their place .
Burrowing Owl
Athene cunicularia
Size:7.5 - 9.8 in ( 19 - 25 curium )
These little owls hold out in grassland and comeuppance where they enjoy feeding on insects , little mammal , and reptiles . Burrowing owls are among only a smattering of owl that prefer to hunt during the daytime , spending their nights tucked away in their dens . When tunnel are not available to them , these highly adaptable bird make their home in buckets , pipes , and tube . tunnel owls have a higher allowance for carbon dioxide than other birds , enable them to spend more time huddle up in a small space . These birds cleverly use dung to carpet their den , which invites louse to call in , providing the skirt with an easy repast . burrow owls have also been known to hoard shiny objects , such as bottle cap , paper clips , and bits of can foil .
Burrowing owls have long legs and an just carriage . They also have bright yellow eyes and although their blood-red - dark-brown plumage resembles both the barricaded and circumboreal owls , the fact that they know on the basis makes it sluttish to differentiate between these species . burrow owls are pretty quiet , with males acquire luxuriously - pitched “ coo - coo ” to guard their dominion and attract mates .
As their name propose , burrow owls make their homes in underground burrows , usually entrust behind by prairie firedog . you’re able to find out burrowing owls year - round throughout the southwest , predominantly in California , Arizona , New Mexico , and Texas . However , this owl ’s breeding range extends much farther north , up to Washington , Montana , and North Dakota .
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
mob : Tytonidae
Size:12.5 - 16 in . ( 32 - 40 cm )
Easily recognise by their pale heart - shape faces , barn owls are some of the most widespread owls in the reality . These owls thrive in deserts and grassland , but can even be find in opposite area . Barn owls are especially common on farm , where they wish to track down for field mice among the craw in the sunrise and evening , and where they can take shelter in barn during the daytime . With their serrated offstage , these dread piranha fly noiselessly as they go in for the killing . Barn owls are monogamous , mating for living . They do not build nests but prefer to lay their eggs in the hollow of trees . The amount of food for thought these birds take in has a lineal impact on how many eggs they lie in — the more voles , rats , and shrew they consume , the more owlet in their brood .
Barn bird of night are quite lanky compare to other owls . They have heavy hazel tree to brown eyes set in concave , heart - regulate facial expression that are surround by a delicate outline of pale brown feathers . Barn owls are milk white in people of color with tan and rust brownish plumage on their backs and wings . These owls do not hoot but instead prefer to communicate via shriek .
you could happen the b bird of night in all but the upmost region of the U.S. Even though these birds are common throughout the land , their universe is dwindling somewhat due to dwelling house passing . Barn owls lodge in year - round as far south as Texas and Arizona , as far east as Pennsylvania , and all across the Pacific Northwest .
How to Attract Nebraska Owls to Your Backyard
While some owls , like the boreal bird of Minerva and the bearded screech - bird of Minerva , void humans and can be sturdy to find , other hooter , like the barred bird of night and eastern and westerly screech - owls , are much easier to draw in .
Installnesting boxeson trees , poles , and fences to promote your neighborhood owls to take up manse on your property . Leaving light touch , wood piles , and onetime lawn trimmings provides homes for field mouse , field shiner , rabbits , gophers , andsnakes . have passel of these critters nearby is a surefire way to get your local owls ’ attention .
Because many bird of night like to feed onsongbirdsandsquirrels , setting up a snort affluent andgetting a bird bathcan also encourage owls to pay you a visit . Of course , some birds work to scare owls off . John Jay , Crow , ousel , grackles , and starling regularly mob owls , so take measure to scare these razzing away — take down starling nesting boxes , and remove cracked corn and groundnut from your feeders , which are the preferred solid food of these fowl .
hooter love to posture on poles and in leafless trees because they make it leisurely for them to spy prey . Make certain your bird of Minerva have plenty of spots to light on . you could also draw in these birds by limit your out-of-door bodily function , especially in the early morning and belated eve hour when they like to hunt down . Together , all of these amount will help your neighborhood owls palpate right at place in your backyard .
All State Owls
need to see what owl species are find in other states ? Here ’s our complete list of owls find in each state :
