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If you are a fan of owls, winter in Illinois is the best time and place to see and hear them! Owls are raptors and a member of the Strigidae family. We are fortunate to have the presence of three regular year-round owls in Illinois; the great horned owl, barred owl and the eastern screech owl. You may also be able to spot the rare barn owl. In addition, we have owls who only visit us in the winter; the short-eared owl, northern saw-whet owl, snowy owl and long-eared owl.
One particularly active owl, native to the whole state, is the great horned owl. You can usually hear it starting in late fall as the mating season begins. They are our largest owl with a wingspan of 48-62 inches and a length of 21-22 inches. Great horned owls make low “hoo, hoo-oo, hoo, hoo” calls back and forth from male to female. These owls mate for life and nest early, laying two to three eggs in January. Although hard to spot, you may hear them at night or notice other birds frantically flying around and chirping loudly when there is an owl nearby around dusk or dawn.
Some characteristics of all owls include keen hearing, excellent vision so they can see in very dim light, and fringed outer wing feathers allowing them to be almost silent when flying. They can turn their head around 270 degrees. Owls have an unusual way of eating. They eat prey whole and get rid of bones and feathers by forming pellets that are expelled through the mouth.
The resident owls tend to stay in one habitat once they find somewhere to their liking to nest and raise their young. Forested areas near water are frequently areas to find owls. They nest in a variety of areas such as tree cavities, on the ground, in abandoned buildings, and in old nests from other birds. Owls feed on rodents, small birds, fish, rabbits, reptiles and insects. Some larger owls such as the great horned will eat skunks, opossums and even cats.
Getting outdoors beginning in November is the best way to spot our wintertime owl visitors. One very popular owl for bird spotters is the snowy owl. They come here from the arctic tundra and are often seen on the ground in northern Illinois farm fields but occasionally they are seen along the Chicago lakefront. These large birds are active during daylight hours making them easier to spot with their distinctive white feathers with brown bars and feathered feet.
To find out more and to see pictures of different owls, check out the Illinois Department of Natural Resources website.
• Darlie Simerson is a certified Master Gardener and Naturalist volunteer with the University of Illinois Extension serving DuPage, Kane and Kendall counties.