Reports of Barred Owls, Vermont’s mostly common owl, spike in the winter. Perhaps it is because the branches are bare so the bird is more visible especially when in contrast to snow. Also, snow cover may force the bird to move to areas where its prey (small mammals and birds) is more likely to be found such as along plowed roadsides or beneath feeders. Click here to see this past January's reports of Barred Owls. Larger Barred Owl photos are available here and here.
Barred Owl \ Photo by David JenneFortunately the status of Barred Owl is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a species of least concern. The biggest human threats are loss of habitat and cars, which may hit them as they hunt for food along roads. Their natural predator is the Great Horned Owl.
We often receive comments from people claiming to have seen a Snowy Owl, a rare winter visitor to Vermont. More likely the bird is a Barred Owl. There are two clues that it is probably the later. First, the Barred Owl has brown eyes; all the other owl species in Vermont have yellow eyes. Second is habitat; Barred Owls perch in trees (or on power lines), never far from woodlands. While Snowy Owls may perch atop power poles occasionally, their preferred habitat is an open, treeless area.