Texas is home to a diverse range of wildlife, including a variety of owl species. Owls are fascinating creatures that are known for their nocturnal habits and unique physical characteristics. If you’re interested in learning more about the different types of owls that can be found in Texas, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, we will explore the 14 types of owls that can be found in Texas, including their physical characteristics, habitats, and behaviors.
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Whether you’re a birdwatcher or simply curious about the wildlife in your area, this article will provide you with a comprehensive guide to the different types of owls in Texas.
14 Types Of Owls In Texas
Great Horned Owl
The Great Horned Owl is a powerful predator and the largest owl species in Texas. It is known for its ability to dominate a community of raptors.
The Great Horned Owl is a permanent resident of North Texas and becomes more vocal in the fall and winter. It has a grey-brown appearance with a grey or red-brown facial disk and significant ear tufts.
The Great Horned Owl is heavily built, with a barrel-shaped body, a large head, and broad wings. It is among the world’s most adaptable owls in terms of habitat and can take up residence in trees that border all manner of deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests, tropical rainforests, pampas, prairie, mountainous areas, deserts, subarctic tundra, rocky coasts, mangrove swamp forests, and more.
Barn Owl
The Barn Owl is a relatively common and widespread owl species in Texas, occurring throughout the year. It is a permanent resident of North Texas. Here are some key facts about the Barn Owl in Texas:
– Habitat: Barn Owls inhabit many open environments, including grasslands, marshes, and agricultural areas.
– Breeding: Breeding has been reported in all months, based on eggs collected between November 13 and May 16.
– Appearance: The Barn Owl has a distinctive heart-shaped face and a white, heart-shaped facial disk. Its upperparts are pale brown with white spots, and its underparts are white with brown spots.
– Hearing: Barn Owls are considered to have the best hearing of any animal.
– Nesting: Barn Owls in Texas have been known to nest in trees, cliffs, caves, riverbanks, church steeples, chimneys, barn lofts, hay stacks, deer blinds, and more.
Overall, the Barn Owl is an interesting and adaptable owl species that can be found in a variety of habitats throughout Texas.
Barred Owl
The Barred Owl is a year-round resident of Texas. Here are some key facts about the Barred Owl in Texas:
– Breeding: Barred Owls breed from late January to late June in Texas, based on egg dates from February to June.
– Habitat: Barred Owls prefer mature old-growth forests with large trees and access to rivers. They inhabit extensive, intact forests, swamps, and riparian areas.
– Appearance: The Barred Owl has a distinctive brown and white striped pattern on its head and upperparts, and a white underbelly with brown streaks.
– Vocalization: Barred Owls are known for their distinctive “who cooks for you, who cooks for you all” call.
– Diet: Barred Owls feed on a variety of small animals, including mice, rats, squirrels, and other small mammals, as well as birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
Overall, the Barred Owl is a common and interesting owl species in Texas that can be found in a variety of forested habitats.
Long-eared Owl
The Long-eared Owl is a secretive and little-known owl species that can be found in Texas during the winter months. Here are some key facts about the Long-eared Owl in Texas:
– Appearance: The Long-eared Owl has long ear tufts that give it its name, as well as a brown and white striped pattern on its head and upperparts, and a white underbelly with brown streaks.
– Habitat: Long-eared Owls inhabit forests in Texas during the winter months.
– Breeding: Long-eared Owls breed in Europe, Asia, and North America, but are not known to breed in Texas.
– Diet: Long-eared Owls feed on a variety of small animals, including mice, voles, shrews, and other small mammals, as well as birds and insects.
– Behavior: Long-eared Owls are known for their roosting behavior, where they gather in groups and roost close together in dense foliage.
– Status: Long-eared Owls are not considered threatened or endangered in Texas.
Overall, the Long-eared Owl is an interesting and elusive owl species that can be found in Texas during the winter months.
Short-eared Owl
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The Short-eared Owl is a medium-sized owl species that can be found in Texas during the winter months. Here are some key facts about the Short-eared Owl in Texas:
– Appearance: The Short-eared Owl has short ear tufts, as the name suggests, and a brown and white spotted pattern on its head and upperparts, with a pale face and yellow eyes.
– Habitat: Short-eared Owls inhabit open grasslands and prairies in Texas during the winter months.
– Breeding: Short-eared Owls breed in the northern parts of North America, but are not known to breed in Texas.
– Diet: Short-eared Owls feed on a variety of small animals, including mice, voles, shrews, and other small mammals, as well as birds and insects.
– Behavior: Short-eared Owls are known for their diurnal hunting behavior, where they hunt during the day and are often active at dawn and dusk. They hunt by flying low over the ground and hovering before dropping on prey.
– Status: Short-eared Owls are not considered threatened or endangered in Texas.
Overall, the Short-eared Owl is an interesting and unique owl species that can be found in Texas during the winter months.
Burrowing Owl
The Burrowing Owl is a unique and interesting owl species that can be found in Texas. Here are some key facts about the Burrowing Owl in Texas:
– Habitat: Burrowing Owls inhabit open grasslands and prairies in Texas. They typically nest in vacated prairie dog burrows where they may live sociably in colonies.
– Breeding: Burrowing Owls breed in Texas, mostly in the western part of the state and the Panhandle area. They are year-round residents and winter migrants in Texas.
– Appearance: The Burrowing Owl has a brown and white spotted pattern on its head and upperparts, with a white underbelly and long legs.
– Diet: Burrowing Owls eat mostly insects, rodents, and occasionally birds.
– Status: Burrowing Owls are not considered threatened or endangered in Texas.
Overall, the Burrowing Owl is a fascinating owl species that can be found in open grasslands and prairies in Texas. They are known for their unique nesting habits and sociable behavior.
Elf Owl
The Elf Owl is the smallest owl species in the world and can be found in the Southwestern United States, central Mexico, and the Baja California peninsula. Here are some key facts about the Elf Owl:
– Appearance: The Elf Owl is a small grayish-brown owl about the size of a sparrow, with pale yellow eyes highlighted by thin white “eyebrows” and a gray bill with a horn-colored tip.
– Habitat: Elf Owls inhabit dry thorn forests, deserts, pine-oak forests, and riparian woodlands in the southern border of the United States and Mexico. They frequently inhabit woodpecker holes in saguaro cacti and also nest in natural tree cavities.
– Behavior: Elf Owls are strictly nocturnal and feed primarily on insects. They emerge at night to hunt insects and other small prey, and the male gives puppy-like calls that mark its small territory.
– Breeding: Elf Owls breed in natural cavities and abandoned woodpecker holes found in saguaro cacti and oak and sycamore trees. They are the smallest owl in the Sonoran Desert and have excellent night vision.
– Status: Elf Owls are not considered threatened or endangered in Texas.
Overall, the Elf Owl is a fascinating and unique owl species that can be found in desert environments in the southwestern United States and Mexico.
Eastern Screech Owl
The Eastern Screech Owl, also known as the Eastern Screech-Owl, is a small owl species that is relatively common in Eastern North America, from Mexico to Canada. Here are some key facts about the Eastern Screech Owl:
– Appearance: The Eastern Screech Owl is a small owl with a distinctive ear tuft and a brownish-gray plumage with intricate patterns of white and brown.
– Habitat: Eastern Screech Owls can be found in wooded environments, suburbs, and parks throughout their range. They are known to adapt well to manmade development and can often be found in residential areas.
– Behavior: Eastern Screech Owls are strictly nocturnal and roost during the day in cavities or next to tree trunks. They are more frequently heard than seen due to their small size and camouflage. They are known for their trills and whinnies, which can be heard at night, especially during their spring breeding season.
– Breeding: Eastern Screech Owls breed in natural cavities and abandoned woodpecker holes found in trees. They have an elaborate courtship ritual, and once they mate, they will preen each other’s feathers and call in duet.
– Diet: Eastern Screech Owls feed on a variety of small animals, including insects, rodents, and other small mammals, as well as birds and reptiles.
– Status: Eastern Screech Owls are not considered threatened or endangered in Texas.
Overall, the Eastern Screech Owl is a fascinating and adaptable owl species that can be found in a variety of habitats throughout Eastern North America.
Northern Saw-whet Owl
The Northern Saw-whet Owl is a small owl species that is native to North America. Here are some key facts about the Northern Saw-whet Owl:
– Appearance: The Northern Saw-whet Owl is a small, mottled brown owl with a whitish facial disk and white-spotted head. They have a round head, yellow eyes, and a black beak. They lack ear tufts and are about the size of a robin.
– Habitat: Northern Saw-whet Owls can be found in forests, conifers, and groves throughout their range. They are mostly nocturnal and roost during the day in dense conifers.
– Behavior: Northern Saw-whet Owls are mostly nocturnal and are far more often heard than seen. They are known for their sharp, high, repeated too-too-too call, which can be heard on quiet nights from January to May in forests of northern and western North America. During the day, they roost silently in dense conifers.
– Breeding: Northern Saw-whet Owls breed in natural cavities and abandoned woodpecker holes found in trees. Early in the breeding season, the male sings incessantly at night to defend territory and attract a mate.
– Diet: Northern Saw-whet Owls feed mostly on mice, especially deer mice, and many voles. They usually eat adult mice in pieces, over the course of two meals.
– Status: Northern Saw-whet Owls are not considered threatened or endangered in Texas.
Overall, the Northern Saw-whet Owl is a small and elusive owl species that can be found in forests throughout North America. They are mostly nocturnal and are known for their sharp, high-pitched call.
Spotted Owl
The Spotted Owl is a medium-sized owl species that is native to North America. Here are some key facts about the Spotted Owl:
– Appearance: The Spotted Owl is a dark brown owl with a barred tail, white spots on the head and breast, and dark brown eyes surrounded by prominent facial disks. Males and females have similar plumage, but females typically weigh 10 to 20 percent more than males.
– Habitat: Spotted Owls live in mature coniferous forests with dense canopy cover at low and moderate elevations. They are known to nest in tree hollows, old bird of prey nests, or rock crevices. The fragmentation of conifer forests has led to increased occupation by Great Horned Owls and, in the past 20-30 years, the invasion of Barred Owls.
– Behavior: Spotted Owls are mostly nocturnal and are known for their deep hooting calls that carry far on quiet nights. They are skilled hunters that use their keen eyesight and hearing to locate and capture prey. They are also known for caching prey in relatively cool niches such as moss-covered tree limbs, broken stumps, under fallen logs, or among moss-covered rocks.
– Breeding: Spotted Owls breed in natural cavities and abandoned woodpecker holes found in trees. They usually lay two eggs, though some clutches may contain as many as four.
– Diet: Spotted Owls feed on small mammals and birds, such as mice, voles, shrews, and jays.
– Status: Spotted Owls are under pressure from habitat destruction throughout their range, and are currently classified as a near-threatened species.
Overall, the Spotted Owl is a fascinating and elusive owl species that can be found in mature coniferous forests throughout North America. They are known for their deep hooting calls and skilled hunting abilities.
Mottled Owl
The Mottled Owl is a medium-sized owl species that can be found in Central and South America, from Mexico to Brazil and Argentina. Here are some key facts about the Mottled Owl:
– Appearance: The Mottled Owl has a mottled brown head and back, with whitish underparts and distinctive vertical brown streaks on the chest and throat. Females are considerably larger than males, and the species shows the greatest degree of sexual dimorphism of any species of owl.
– Habitat: Mottled Owls inhabit a variety of wooded habitats, including rainforest, woodland verges, dry thorn forest, pine/oak woodland, and plantations. They can also be found in gardens and towns.
– Behavior: Mottled Owls are mostly nocturnal and roost during the day. They are known for their distinctive hooting calls, which can be heard at night.
– Breeding: Mottled Owls breed in natural cavities found in trees. They typically lay two eggs, and the female incubates them for about a month.
– Diet: Mottled Owls feed on a variety of small animals, including rodents, insects, and other small mammals.
– Status: Mottled Owls are not considered threatened or endangered in their range.
Overall, the Mottled Owl is a fascinating and distinctive owl species that can be found in a variety of wooded habitats throughout Central and South America.
Snowy Owl
The Snowy Owl is a large, white owl species that is native to the Arctic regions of both North America and the Palearctic. Here are some key facts about the Snowy Owl:
– Appearance: The Snowy Owl is a large, white owl with varying amounts of black or brown markings on the body and wings. Females tend to have more markings than males, and juveniles have more markings than adults. They have a bulky body, a rounded head, and yellow eyes.
– Habitat: Snowy Owls inhabit open, treeless areas called tundra in the Arctic regions of North America and the Palearctic. They can also be found in wide-open areas such as fields and shorelines during the winter months.
– Behavior: Snowy Owls are mostly diurnal, especially during the continuous daylight of an Arctic summer. They are known for their patient hunting behavior, where they perch and wait to identify their prey before soaring off in pursuit. They have excellent eyesight and hearing, which can help them find prey that is invisible under thick snow or plants.
– Breeding: Snowy Owls breed on the Arctic tundra, where females lay a clutch of 3 to 11 eggs. Clutch size depends upon the availability of food, and in particularly lean times a usually monogamous pair of owls may not breed at all. Parents are territorial and will defend their nests against all comers, even wolves.
– Diet: Snowy Owls feed primarily on lemmings, but they also hunt for other small rodents, rabbits, birds, and fish.
– Status: Snowy Owls are not considered threatened or endangered, but they are listed as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List.
Overall, the Snowy Owl is a fascinating and distinctive owl species that can be found in the Arctic regions of North America and the Palearctic. They are known for their patient hunting behavior and excellent eyesight and hearing.
Northern Pygmy Owl
The Northern Pygmy Owl is a small owl species that is native to western North America. Here are some key facts about the Northern Pygmy Owl:
– Appearance: The Northern Pygmy Owl is small and compact, with a large, circular head that lacks ear tufts. They are mostly dark brown and white, with long tails and fairly short, rounded wings.
– Habitat: Northern Pygmy Owls can be found in a variety of habitats, including temperate, subtropical, and tropical moist forests, savannas, and wetlands. They are also known to inhabit coniferous forests.
– Behavior: Northern Pygmy Owls are mostly diurnal and are known for their aggressive hunting behavior. They have a taste for songbirds and are known to catch more birds than most small owls. They are also known to gather little gangs of chickadees and other songbirds to “mob” a predator.
– Breeding: Northern Pygmy Owls breed in natural cavities found in trees. They typically lay 3 to 7 eggs, and the female incubates them for about a month.
– Diet: Northern Pygmy Owls feed on a variety of small animals, including songbirds, rodents, and insects.
– Status: Northern Pygmy Owls are not considered threatened or endangered in their range.
Overall, the Northern Pygmy Owl is a fascinating and ferocious owl species that can be found in a variety of habitats throughout western North America. They are known for their aggressive hunting behavior and taste for songbirds.
Stygian Owl
The Stygian Owl is a medium-sized owl species that is found in Mexico, parts of Central America, Cuba, Hispaniola, and 10 countries in South America. Here are some key facts about the Stygian Owl:
– Appearance: The Stygian Owl is a medium-sized owl with very dark plumage and long dark feathers that project upward as “ears”. The face is blackish with a pale border and a whitish forehead. The sexes have similar plumage.
– Habitat: Stygian Owls can be found in a variety of habitats, including pine and pine-oak forests, highlands, and other wooded areas.
– Behavior: Stygian Owls are mostly nocturnal and are known for their distinctive hooting calls. They are skilled hunters that use their keen eyesight and hearing to locate and capture prey.
– Breeding: Stygian Owls breed in natural cavities found in trees. They typically lay 2 to 4 eggs, and the female incubates them for about a month.
– Diet: Stygian Owls feed on a variety of small animals, including rodents, insects, and other small mammals.
– Status: Stygian Owls are not considered threatened or endangered in their range.
Overall, the Stygian Owl is a fascinating and mysterious owl species that can be found in a variety of wooded habitats throughout Mexico, Central America, and South America.
FAQS
1. How many types of owls are there in Texas?
There are different numbers of owl species in Texas depending on the source, but the most common numbers are 11, 13, and 14.
2. What is the largest owl species in Texas?
The Great Horned Owl is the largest owl species in Texas.
3. What is the smallest owl species in Texas?
The Elf Owl is the smallest owl species in Texas.
4. Where can I find owls in Texas?
Owls can be found in a variety of habitats throughout Texas, including woodlands, grasslands, agricultural areas, and desert environments.
5. Are owls in Texas endangered?
Most owl species in Texas are not considered threatened or endangered, but some species are under pressure from habitat destruction throughout their range.
6. What do owls in Texas eat?
Owls in Texas feed on a variety of small animals, including rodents, insects, and other small mammals, as well as birds and reptiles.
7. Are owls in Texas nocturnal or diurnal?
Most owl species in Texas are nocturnal, meaning they are active at night. However, some species, such as the Northern Pygmy Owl, are diurnal and are active during the day.
8. Can I hear owls in Texas?
Yes, many owl species in Texas are known for their distinctive calls, which can be heard at night or during the day depending on the species.
9. Are owls in Texas sociable?
Some owl species in Texas, such as the Burrowing Owl, are known to live sociably in colonies, while others, such as the Northern Saw-whet Owl, are more solitary.
10. What is the rarest owl species in Texas?
The Mottled Owl, Snowy Owl, Northern Pygmy Owl, and Stygian Owl are all considered rare vagrants in Texas.
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