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Nothing is more exciting than blot an owl in your backyard if you live in Arizona . These brilliant birds of quarry are a beautiful sight to behold . If you ’re an avid birdwatcher , you ’re probably eager to identify which types of owls are see your dimension .
There are 13 bird of Minerva species rule in Arizona , include the Northern Saw - whet Owl , Western Screech Owl , Elf Owl , Barn Owl , Burrowing Owl , Spotted Owl , Northern Pygmy Owl , Short - Eared Owl , Flammulated Owl , Ferruginous Pygmy Owl , Long Eared Owl , Great Horned Owl , and Whiskered Screech Owl . While several of these owl mintage have their best-loved mating and migratory range , it ’s potential to spot a vagrant or irrupting bird of Minerva in area outside their screw territories . If you see an owl in Arizona that is not on this leaning , consider yourself lucky !
Legend for the following owl rangemaps
The fable below can be used to aid you ascertain where each of the 13 owls of Arizona lives during different parts of the year .
The 13 Species of Owls in Arizona
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Aegolius acadicus
Order : Strigiformes
Family : Strigidae
Legend for the following owl rangemaps
Size:8 - 8.5 in . ( 20.3 - 21.5 cm )
These owls are short and compact . At just 8 in in duration and with a wingspan of 22 inch , northern saw - whet bird of night are among the smallest owls in the United States . Northern byword - whet hooter care to prey on cervid mice , using their sharp hooter to pluck their prey into small art object , break up a undivided mouse into several meals . Because these owls are nocturnal , and because they ’re so small , they can be difficult to track . But their piercing cries make it light to locate them in their timber home . Northern saw - whet owls are mostly solitary creatures , only socializing with their couple . Females have been recognize to have two mates , leaving the first to raise a brood with the 2nd . These bird of Minerva have porphyrin pigments in their feathers , and when illuminated with a ultraviolet radiation light , the ventral side of the wings shows a neon pink colour . This help oneself researchers ascertain an bird of Minerva ’s eld .
Named because its call sounds like a saw being sharpened on a whetstone , sawing machine - whet owls have modest psyche and cat - corresponding faces with relatively large yellow eyes . With rust - colored backs , knocker , and wings , northern saw - whet owls have spotted heads and distinctive Y - shaped marker on their faces . These bird of night use a variety of phonation to communicate . They ’re most easily identified by their shrill “ too - too - too ” call , which they use to attract fellow . The cries of northern saw - whet bird of Minerva are so meretricious that they can be see nearly 1,000 feet away .
One of the most mutual owls in the U.S. , the northerly sawing machine - whet prefers to dwell in raft forests . They can be found year - round in California , New Mexico , Utah , and Colorado , and in the northeast land , Minnesota , Wisconsin , Michigan , New York , and all the way through to Maine . These owls can be see in other territory , too , during non - breeding times . It ’s not unheard of to see northerly sawing machine - whet owl throughout the midwest , including Kansas , Missouri , and Illinois .
Western Screech-Owl
Megascops kennicottii
Size:7.5 - 9.5 in . ( 19 - 24 cm )
These are modest owls , maxing out at just 9 column inch in length and with wingspans of roughly 24 inches . But , do n’t have their small stature deceive you . These birds are serious predators , regularly seeking out fair game many time their own size of it . While western screech - bird of Minerva provender on rodents , small birds , fishing worm , and other bugs , they ’ve also been figure preying on rabbit . Western shrieking - owls like to sit down close to where branch forgather the tree proboscis , so they can cower up against them in orderliness to camouflage themselves from vulture and prey . These are opportunistic predators who like an prosperous repast , but , when determined , they will also furrow their prey down , sometimes grabbing birds and insects midflight .
Western screech - owls look much like easterly screech - bird of night , with grownup morphs in Great Plains , Mexican , Mojave , brown Pacific , and gray Pacific colouration . They have gray and brownish plume with no speck of red . Western scream - bird of night have humble , rotund heads with ear tuft and graphic yellow eyes . Contrary to what their name would lead you to conceive , westerly screech - owls usually do n’t screech . rather , they use short whistles and trills to commune with each other .
These owls are highly adaptable , making their homes in a variety of area , including deserts , grassland , forests , and urban areas . you may find westerly screech - hooter all across the west coast , err inward a second to Idaho , Wyoming , Utah , Colorado , New Mexico , and parts of Texas . If you live in one of these area , attempt installing a nesting loge to draw a westerly shrieking - bird of night to your backyard .
Elf Owl
Micrathene whitneyi
Size:5.25 - 5.75 in . ( 13.3 -14.5 cm )
One of the smallest bird of Minerva in the world , the elf owl is less than 6 inches in duration and only weighs about 45 grams . Because of their humble size , the elf owl mostly feed on insects and small reptiles like lizards . Elf owls make their nests in tree , and the nests oftentimes become overrun with ants , who care to feed on the resident elf bird of night ’s leftover . But , smartly , these hooter have been bed to bring small ribbon snakes back to their nests , allowing the reptiles to feed on the pesky insect . Mated elf owl pairs often gang up on local predator to protect their nest , a process call off mobbing . It ’s not uncommon to see group of these little owls attacking squirrel , songbirds , and larger bird of night to keep their unseasoned safe .
Elf owls are smaller than a smartphone , with browned feather accentuate with white and orangish spots . These birds have distinctive yipping margin call that make them sound like small dog or puppy . Elf owls favour to hunt at Nox and like to hang around bright luminance , which draw in insects . They make their home in the core out - out cacti and bush brush of the desert .
Even though these bird of Minerva do not make the U.S. their lasting residence , favor to live in Mexico , they do transmigrate to the sou'-west during the breeding time of year . If you live in southerly California , Arizona , New Mexico , or west Texas , keep your eyes peeled for these tiny raptors in the spring and summer calendar month .
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
folk : Tytonidae
Size:12.5 - 16 in . ( 32 - 40 centimetre )
easy recognized by their pale centre - mold faces , barn bird of night are some of the most widespread hooter in the domain . These owl expand in deserts and grasslands , but can even be notice in opposite region . Barn owls are specially common on farms , where they care to hunt for field mice among the crop in the morning and evening , and where they can take shelter in barns during the daytime . With their serrate wings , these fearsome predators fly noiselessly as they go in for the killing . Barn owls are monogamous , mating for life . They do not build nests but choose to lay their egg in the hollow of tree . The amount of food these birds receive has a direct impact on how many eggs they lie in — the more field mouse , rat , and shrewmouse they consume , the more owlets in their brood .
Barn bird of night are quite lanky equate to other owls . They have large hazel to dark-brown eyes set in concave , mettle - shaped faces that are surrounded by a delicate outline of wan brown feathers . Barn bird of Minerva are milk white in coloring material with tan and rust browned feather on their backs and annexe . These owls do not hoot but instead favor to communicate via screeches .
you could find the b owl in all but the topmost region of the U.S. Even though these bird are common throughout the nation , their population is dwindling somewhat due to habitation loss . Barn owls domicile year - round as far to the south as Texas and Arizona , as far east as Pennsylvania , and all across the Pacific Northwest .
Burrowing Owl
Athene cunicularia
Size:7.5 - 9.8 in ( 19 - 25 cm )
These small hooter live in grasslands and deserts where they enjoy feeding on insects , pocket-size mammals , and reptiles . burrow owls are among only a handful of owls that favor to hunt during the day , spend their nights tucked away in their dens . When tunnel are not available to them , these highly adaptable bird make their homes in buckets , pipe , and tubing . Burrowing owls have a higher tolerance for C dioxide than other birds , enabling them to spend more time cower up in a small quad . These raspberry cleverly employ dung to carpet their hideaway , which invite insects to visit , put up the birds with an easy repast . tunnel owls have also been known to collect shining objects , such as bottle caps , newspaper clips , and bit of tin foil .
tunnel owls have tenacious legs and an upright attitude . They also have vivid yellow eye and although their red - brownish plume resembles both the barred and boreal owls , the fact that they be on the ground cause it easy to speciate between these specie . tunnel owls are passably quiet , with male producing richly - pitch “ coo - coo ” to defend their dominion and attract mates .
As their name suggests , burrowing owls make their homes in hole-and-corner burrows , usually exit behind by prairie heel . you’re able to find burrowing bird of night year - daily round throughout the southwest , predominantly in California , Arizona , New Mexico , and Texas . However , this owl ’s breeding scope cover much far north , up to Washington , Montana , and North Dakota .
Spotted Owl
Strix occidentalis
Size:17 - 19 in . ( 43 - 48 cm )
recognize hooter make their nests in empty trees , rock crevices , and old nest leave behind by other birds of target . It ’s figure that less than 15,000 of these hoot remain in the U.S. and Canada , despite Union efforts to protect them . Spotted hooter are currently classified as near - threatened , and are dwindling at a stiff step due to home ground loss . These owls are “ posture - and - wait ” hunters , preferring to see for prey from the safety of a tree offset , and swoop down on it when they feel the time is correct . They feed on Gopherus polypemus , squirrels , and cervid mice , as well as other small mammals . When prey is abundant , blemish hooter store caches of leftovers in cool place , like fallen logs or moss - cover rocks . These bird of Minerva utilise deep hooting call to communicate with each other when they hunt down at dark .
Spotted owls have large , deep brown eyes . They ’re so dark that , from a distance , it can be difficult to differentiate between pupil and iris . Often , all you see is a couple of opprobrious spot peer out at you from beneath brown feathers . These birds have wise , unit of ammunition font , and ash - brown to red - brown plumage , with white touch on their head . Though their tail and primary feathers are block , breast feathering are blob . Overall , spotted owls are mostly brown with very minuscule contrast , allowing them to blend in in well with their wood surroundings .
There are three subspecies of spot owls . Mexican spotted owl can be seen throughout parts of the southwest , including Arizona and New Mexico , while California blob bird of Minerva can be found in ( where else ? ) California . northerly spotted bird of night live on throughout the Pacific Northwest , along the coasts of Washington , Oregon , and northern California . Spotted owls mostly stay tight to home and live in these region year - round .
Northern Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium gnoma
Size:6.5 - 7.3 in ( 16.5 - 18.5 centimetre )
These owls are a ducky among birdwatchers because they prefer to hunt during the daytime . This , coupled with their courageous nature , makes them easy to pick out compared to more skittish fellow member of the species . Northern pygmy bird of night are loosely unafraid of humans , and will merrily nest in urban area . This is likely due to the fact that human set up hiss feeders to attract songbird — the northern pygmy owl ’s preferent food . These owls ambush their quarry and stack away their leftover on thorns and spikes to come back to later . Northern pigmy owls are such a threat to smaller dame that wrens , jays , and even hummingbirds will mob them to track them away . Though these shuttle are only about as long as a butterknife , they ’ve been hump to attack prey much larger than themselves , including chickens . Because northern Pigmy owls lack the substantive facial disc demand to better hearing , they trust on their keen sightedness to cut across their prey .
At just 7 inch long , northerly pygmy bird of night are quite small , but do n’t permit their sizing fool you . These are problematic , tenacious little birds ! Adults are gray , browned , or red - brown in color with livid spotted heads and dark fender , stern , and breasts . Like ferruginous pygmy owl , northerly pygmy bird of night have dark touch on the backs of their heads that look like another set of eyes . This help to confuse both prey and piranha . The best way to find a northern pygmy bird of night is to tail its high up - pitched tooting calls .
These bird of Minerva are passably adaptable , proceed into cityscape as their native mountain forests become less useable . Unfortunately , however , these owls do n’t often make their homes in nesting boxes , so these are an ineffective means of appeal them . you may find northern pygmy owls throughout the western states , in California , Oregon , and Idaho , and farther in the south in Colorado , Arizona , and New Mexico .
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeus
Size:14.5 - 15 in . ( 37 - 38 cm )
A definitive birdwatcher pet , short - eared owls search during the daytime and can be find throughout the United States . These owls are some of the few that opt to build up their own nests . female person construct their stadium - shaped nest in the land , delineate them with plume , Grass , and other soft material before laying clutch of 4 to 7 eggs . Short - eared bird of night have very classifiable flight of steps radiation diagram , with irregular wingbeats like to that of bat or moths . These birds are typically 17 inches in length and have wingspan of up to 43 inches . They use their powerful wings to stay just as they swoop foot - first to capture their prey , which consists of low mammal , rodents , reptiles , and amphibians . curtly - eared owls sometimes dine on songbird and will shoot the wings off before swallowing them whole .
The spike tussock of the shortly - eared owl are deposit towards the center of their heads , and they ’re so short that sometimes they may not be visible at all . Short - eared owl have tawny plume on their backs and wings with tan belly that are interspersed with vertical dark brown streak . Tailfeathers are barred . These owls have diminished , round faces with pallid tan to creamy lily-white facial disks accented by black - brimmed icteric eye . Short - eared owl employ sharp “ waowk - waowk - waowk ” calls to intercommunicate and “ eeee - yerp ” cries during the mating time of year .
splendid long - length fliers , short - eared hooter have been report land on watercraft C of miles from shoring . These skirt will fly over the ocean and land to turn over their breeding ground in northerly Canada . you could find short - eared owls living year - round in the Union and northwest dowery of the United States . But , because they travel regularly , you may spot stragglers in nearly every state in the nation . These razz opt to dwell in assailable areas , including grasslands , marshland , and farmland .
Flammulated Owl
Psiloscops flammeolus
Size:6 - 6.5 in . ( 15 - 17 centimetre )
Though these bird of Minerva only measure around 6 inches in length , they have a tumid wingspan for their sizing , valuate 14 - in from wingtip to wingtip . Their foresightful , muscular wings enable them to fly cursorily between the treetops of their wood plate . These bird of Minerva deplete bug almost exclusively , preferring moths and butterflies above other insects . In fact , this proclivity for insects may describe for why these owls migrate in the south during the winter months . Flammulated owls are monogamous , choose one mate for lifetime . Mated pairs elevate 2 to 4 owlets at a time in nests that are not lined with any form of bedding material . Unlike most owls , who prefer to keep to themselves , flammulated owls form loose settlement — likely for protection since they ’re so humble .
Featuring feathers in shades of gray and brownish with rust red tips along its wing , and distinctive fire - like marking on its face ( hence its name ) , this owl is incredibly well - camouflage . The good way to come up a flammulated owl is by listening to its call . The flammulated bird of night has a much lower - lurch call than you would expect from such a small owl . This acts as a defense chemical mechanism , flim-flam potential predator into mean they ’re much bigger than they really are .
When it comes to tracking down flammulated hooter , birdwatchers have their work cut out for them . Because these hooter opt to spend their time perched on the top side of grandiloquent conifer searching for bug , they can be difficult to find . These birds transmigrate through west Texas and New Mexico and have a scattered nurture range of mountains that includes parts of California , Oregon , Washington , Idaho , Nevada , Utah , and Colorado , where they experience from late April or former May to August .
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium brasilianum
Size:6.75 – 7.5 in ( 17 – 19 cm )
distinguish for its iron - discolor plumage , the ferruginous pygmy owl feeds mostly on dirt ball like grasshopper and cicadas , though it will also predate on modest reptiles and even scorpions . At a miserable 7 - inches in length , these owl have been recognize hunting down birds adequate to their own size , including cardinal number , meadowlark , and grossbeak . A couple of dark spots on the back of the ferruginous pigmy owl ’s head confuses its quarry . These bird of night prefer to make their homes in cactus holes , where they rear their immature . Ferruginous pygmy bird of Minerva can lay anywhere from 1 to 7 eggs at a prison term , and grownup owls can fly an impressive 30 to 35 statute mile per minute .
The ferruginous pigmy owl is a small , hardy doll with a trivial drumhead and hopeful scandalmongering eyes . These hooter are preponderantly brown in color with cream - gloss feathers down their fronts interlard with red - brown ones . Ferruginous pigmy bird of Minerva have disproportionately large fundament with farsighted , shrill talons . Their calls consist of dewy-eyed “ hoo - hoos ” in the key of E flat , and they are most active during the daylight .
The ferruginous pygmy hooter can only be escort in the southernmost peak of Texas and in the southern and south - central portions of Arizona . They are most widespread in neotropical lowlands , where they can recover their preferred prey in abundance . Unfortunately , this rare owl is interpret a declination in population due to dwelling going do by urbanisation .
Long-Eared Owl
genus Asio otus
Size:14 - 16 in . ( 35 - 40 cm )
At 15 inches in duration and with an impressive wingspan of 39 inches , the long - eared owl has been known to slip nests aside from jays and crows to conjure their own untested . This somewhat problematic bird of Minerva can be tough to find , preferring to try tax shelter in dense woodlands . And , regrettably , its population has declined 91 % since 1970 . Unlike most bird of night , long - eared bird of Minerva are not very territorial and prefer to trust on their camouflage to hide from potential vulture . When confronted , most long - eared owls only aviate away . Because these birds can be spooky , they can be tough for birdwatchers to track down . But if you are lucky enough to espy a long - eared owl , keep your eyes peeled for more — long - eared bird of Minerva roost in groups of 6 to 50 .
At first glimpse , the long - eared owl greatly resembles the great horned owl . But a closer review reveals that long - eared owls possess a distinctive V - shaped feather pattern on their face . The tufts of feather that make up their face disks fence in brilliant orangish eyes , giving them a surprised formulation . The 2nd set of feather tufts seat on top of their heads gives them their iconic long - eared appearance These are gangly birds that have tan faces with variegated plume in shades of brown , tan , gray , and white .
Long - eared owls live year - round in Wyoming , Nevada , Colorado , Arizona , New York , Michigan , and Wisconsin . During the upbringing time of year , these raspberry venture farther northwards to Montana , North Dakota , and Minnesota . These birds can be spotted in all but the southernmost portion of Florida , Alabama , Mississippi , Louisiana , and Texas . Long - eared owls prefer to live in unresolved spaces that have dim clusters of scattered trees , providing them with a safe place to seek tax shelter as they hunt for small mammals .
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Size:18 - 26 in . ( 46 - 63 cm )
Far from meek , Great Horned hooter have been known to hunt down other birds of prey , including ospreys , peregrines , and even other owls . With their strong talons , these birds can wield 28 - pounds of effect let them to tackle with child prey . Great orned owls are a major threat to other fowl , specially jays and crows . In fact , if you ever hear a large group of these birds make a hassle , there ’s a good opportunity it ’s because a great horned owl has gotten too closelipped to their nests . The great tusk bird of night ’s plumage is radical - sonant , and this provides the beast with several benefits . For starters , it protects them from the harsh cold . But it also muffles sound , permit them to fly silently as they pounce down on their target . Interestingly , although the female person of the species are large than the males , females have higher - pitched voices , and pair twosome often synchronize their calls .
The great tusk owl is easily identified by a matching pair of tussock on either side of its head , move over it a horn visual aspect . They have grey to red-faced - brown barred plumage and golden yellow eye that do not move within the sockets . These birds can rotate their heads 180 arcdegree to see and get word what ’s going on around them . Facial feather discs help direct soundwaves to their spike , allowing them to track their prey , and their blanket annex enable them to aviate deftly , with serrated master feathers dispersing turbulence and softer feathers muffling sound .
These brilliant owls can be found in every res publica in the state except Hawaii . These bird of night are native to the Americas , and they ’re extremely adaptable , dwelling in forested , rural , and urban area likewise . While you ’re liable to see a heavy horned owl just about anywhere , keep your eyes peeled near wooded areas , especially along treelines as these fowl like to perch near exposed fields to obtain their prey .
Whiskered Screech-Owl
Megascops trichopsis
Size:6.3 - 7.9 in . ( 16 - 20 cm )
Particularly hard to pass over down and observe , not much is known about whiskered screech - owls . Very few nests have been found because they hold out at high natural elevation at around 5,000 feet . What is known about bewhiskered scream - bird of Minerva is that they are excellent Orion , sit around on perches to locate prey , and swooping on small birds and insects midflight . Whiskered screech - owls are most active at Nox , coming out at dusk to hunt . Grasshoppers , katydids , beetles , moths , and scorpions make up the majority of their dieting . These hooter make their home in tree diagram excavate and one-time nests left behind by other birds ( normally woodpecker ) . They place 3 or 4 ballock in a clutch in nests roughly 22 base off the ground . It ’s call up that less than 500 of these birds exist today , with population declining as their native habitat lessen .
barbate screaming - owls resemble their easterly and western cousins . They have gray-haired to brown plumage , with some chick taking on a rusting - red chromaticity . Whiskered screech - owls have golden - light-green eye , modest spike tufts , and vibrissa - like feather surrounding dark greyish beaks . The rhythmic outcry of the barbate screech - owl sound like Morse code , with males using “ ook - ook - ook - ook ” calls . female person have higher - pitch voice , and often babble out dyad with their mates .
This rare bird of night can only be happen in the oaks , pine tree , and sycamores of the Sky Islands mountains in southwest New Mexico and southeast Arizona . Because these bird of night are so little , it ’s best to take heed to their calls to tag them down . Whiskered shrieking - owls tend to experience at mellow EL , and although they ’re difficult to see in the U.S. , they ’re fairly easy to find in Mexico , which is home to most of their natural habitat .
How to Attract Arizona Owls to Your Backyard
While some owls , like the boreal owl and the whiskered screech - owl , avoid mankind and can be hard to find , other owls , like the barred bird of Minerva and eastern and western screech - owls , are much easy to pull in .
Installnesting boxeson trees , pole , and fence to boost your neighborhood owls to take up residence on your holding . leave brush , wood piles , and old lawn passementerie render homes for field mouse , study mouse , rabbit , gophers , andsnakes . Having plenty of these critter nearby is a surefire manner to get your local bird of Minerva ’ aid .
Because many owls like to fertilise onsongbirdsandsquirrels , go down up a doll feeder andgetting a hiss bathcan also encourage owls to pay you a sojourn . Of course , some birds work to scare owls off . Jays , crows , blackbirds , crow blackbird , and starlings regularly mob owl , so take measures to scare these birds away — take down starling nesting boxwood , and murder crack corn and peanuts from your tributary , which are the preferred food of these birds .
hooter have a go at it to sit on poles and in leafless trees because they make it easier for them to spot quarry . check that your owls have plenty of spot to perch on . you’re able to also draw these birds by limiting your out-of-door body process , especially in the early morning time and late evening hours when they like to hunt . Together , all of these measures will help your neck of the woods hooter feel flop at home in your backyard .
All State Owls
require to see what bird of night coinage are found in other states ? Here ’s our utter list of owls constitute in each state :
