Wandering Aimlessly
New Residents – Mason Hill
by Phil Burkhouse
In mid-March I did an article I titled “A Regular-The Barred Owl.” Old “eight hooter” is a nickname derived from its cadence of “Who cooks for you—who cooks for youall.” This songster is one of my favorite permanent Big Woods residents.
Barred owls look large because of their plumage. They stand 1 ½ to 2 feet tall and have a three to four foot wing span but only weigh about two pounds. They lack the ear tufts of their much larger cousin, the Great Horned owl, and have a rounded head with dark brown to almost black, soulful eyes. Most owls have yellow eyes with black pupils. The Great Horned owl is one of their few natural enemies; a Great Horned owl will kill and eat a Barred owl.