Types of Owls: Your Complete Guide
by Species and State
From the Great Horned Owl of Michigan's old-growth forests to the Burrowing Owl of Texas grasslands — a complete field guide to owl species across America, plus how to attract them to your property.
There are 19 species of owls that breed in the United States and Canada — and depending on where you live, you may have several of them as neighbors without even knowing it. Owls are among the most widespread and ecologically important birds in North America, found in every habitat from Arctic tundra to desert scrub to the old-growth forest corridors of the Midwest.
This guide covers the types of owls found across America, organized by state, with habitat notes, identification tips, and everything you need to know about attracting owls to your own property. If you are a private landowner interested in owl boxes, jump to our complete owl box guide — it is one of the most effective things you can do for local owl populations. This owl guide is part of our complete Backyard Bird Guide, covering every backyard bird species, feeder, house, and nest.
The 8 Most Common Types of Owls in America
Before diving into state-by-state breakdowns, here are the eight owl species you are most likely to encounter across the United States — the ones that show up repeatedly no matter which state you live in.
🦉 Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
The most widespread owl in North America. Found in every state and virtually every habitat — from dense forest to open desert to suburban parks. Large, powerful, with distinctive ear tufts and piercing yellow eyes. Nests as early as January, often in abandoned hawk or crow nests. The deep, resonant hoot most people recognize as "the owl sound" belongs to this species. An apex predator that will take prey as large as skunks, rabbits, and other raptors.
🦉 Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
The heart-shaped face is unmistakable. Barn owls are found across most of the lower 48 states and are one of the most effective natural rodent controllers alive — a single barn owl family can consume over 1,000 mice in a nesting season. They favor open farmland, grasslands, and marshes. Nest boxes specifically designed for barn owls have proven highly effective at establishing populations on agricultural land.
🦉 Barred Owl (Strix varia)
Named for the horizontal brown barring on its chest. The classic call — "Who cooks for you, who cooks for you all" — carries through eastern forests on winter nights. Barred owls are forest specialists, preferring mature woodland near water. Originally an eastern species, they have expanded west significantly and now overlap with Spotted Owls in the Pacific Northwest, creating conservation challenges.
🦉 Eastern Screech-Owl (Megascops asio)
Small — about the size of a pint glass — but fierce. Eastern screech-owls come in two color morphs: gray and red. Their call is not a screech at all but a descending whinny and a long tremolo. Highly adaptable, they thrive in suburban and rural settings alike and are one of the most responsive owl species to nest boxes. If you want owls on your property east of the Rockies, start with an Eastern Screech-Owl box.
🦉 Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus)
One of the smallest owls in North America — only 7-8 inches tall — and one of the most secretive. Their repetitive tooting call sounds remarkably like a saw being sharpened on a whetstone. Despite being widespread, they are rarely seen due to their nocturnal habits and preference for dense conifers. More common than most people realize; they simply stay hidden.
🦉 Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)
One of the few diurnal owls — active at dawn and dusk over open grasslands, marshes, and agricultural fields. They fly with a buoyant, mothlike wingbeat low over the ground, hunting voles and mice. Short-eared owls are grassland specialists and their populations have declined in many areas as open habitat disappears. One of the best owls to see in flight because of their daytime activity.
🦉 Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus)
The heaviest owl in North America. Snowy owls breed on Arctic tundra and irrupt south in winter years when lemming populations crash. In irruption years they appear across the northern United States — on airport runways, open fields, and lakeshores — in numbers that generate enormous public excitement. Males are nearly all white; females and juveniles show dark barring.
🦉 Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)
Unlike every other owl on this list, burrowing owls live underground — in abandoned prairie dog and ground squirrel burrows across the Great Plains and western states. They are active during the day, standing sentinel at burrow entrances on long spindly legs. Their populations have declined significantly as grasslands disappear. They make a hissing sound believed to mimic rattlesnakes to deter predators.
🦉 Go Deeper — Our Complete Owl Guides
Owls in Michigan
Michigan is home to some of the best owl habitat in the eastern United States. The state's mix of old-growth forest remnants, wetlands, agricultural fields, and Great Lakes shoreline supports a remarkable diversity of owl species year-round — plus winter visitors from the north. On our 30-acre wildlife habitat in Gratiot County, we have documented five species in a single winter season.
The Saginaw Valley and Gratiot County corridor — where Billy Gruett's old mail trail runs — is exceptional Short-eared Owl territory in winter. The open agricultural fields along the Pine River corridor attract hunting owls at dusk from November through March.
Owls in Ohio
Ohio supports nine owl species regularly, making it one of the most owl-diverse states in the Midwest. The state's combination of mature hardwood forests in the southeast, wetlands along Lake Erie, and agricultural plains in the northwest creates excellent habitat for both resident and migratory owls. The Lake Erie shoreline is a notable corridor for Snowy Owl sightings during irruption winters.
Ohio has an active Barn Owl nest box program through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Barn owl populations have declined significantly in Ohio due to loss of open farmland and changes in agricultural practices. Installing barn owl boxes on agricultural land in western Ohio is one of the most effective conservation actions a private landowner can take.
Owls in Indiana
Indiana's geography — transitioning from the glaciated plains of the north to the forested hills of the south — creates a diversity of owl habitats within a relatively small state. The northern wetlands and agricultural landscape support Short-eared Owls and Barn Owls, while the mature hardwood forests of southern Indiana are strongholds for Barred Owls and Great Horned Owls.
Indiana has one of the densest Eastern Screech-Owl populations in the Midwest. This small owl thrives in the state's mix of woodland edges, suburban parks, and farm hedgerows. Eastern Screech-Owls are cavity nesters and respond extremely well to nest boxes — making Indiana one of the best states in America for attracting owls to your backyard.
Owls in Wisconsin
Wisconsin is one of the premier owl-watching destinations in the United States. The state's boreal forest in the north, extensive wetlands, and Great Lakes shoreline create conditions that attract both resident species and spectacular winter visitors from Canada. Wisconsin birders reliably find Great Gray Owls, Boreal Owls, and Northern Hawk Owls in the northwoods during winter — species that rarely appear further south.
Wisconsin is one of the most reliable places in the lower 48 to find Great Gray Owls in winter. These massive owls — the longest owl species in North America — move south from Canada in winters when prey populations crash. The Northwoods counties near Ashland, Bayfield, and Douglas are the best areas to search from December through February.
Owls in Minnesota
Minnesota may be the single best state in the continental United States for owl diversity. The boreal forest of the north, the mixed hardwood forests of the center, the prairie grasslands of the west, and the extensive wetland systems create habitat for more owl species than almost any other state. Minnesota regularly records eleven or more owl species in a year — including several that barely reach the US border.
Minnesota has the southernmost breeding population of Great Gray Owls in North America. The boggy forest edges of northern Minnesota — particularly around Lake Superior's north shore — are reliable year-round habitat for this magnificent species. The Sax-Zim Bog near Duluth is considered one of the top owl-watching locations in North America.
Owls in Texas
Texas has more owl species than any other state in the continental US. The state's extraordinary geographic diversity — from the Piney Woods of the east to the Chihuahuan Desert of the west, from the subtropical Rio Grande Valley to the High Plains — means Texas hosts both eastern and western owl species, plus several that exist nowhere else in the US. Nineteen owl species have been recorded in Texas.
Texas is one of only two states where you can find the Elf Owl — the smallest owl in the world, weighing about as much as a golf ball. This tiny desert specialist nests in saguaro cactus cavities and old woodpecker holes in the Big Bend region and Trans-Pecos mountains. It feeds almost entirely on insects and is strictly nocturnal.
Owls in Southern California
Southern California's owl diversity reflects the region's dramatic landscape variation — from Pacific coastline to chaparral-covered hills to Mojave Desert to the oak woodlands of the interior valleys. The mild climate means several species are year-round residents that would be seasonal visitors further north. Southern California is also one of the best places in America to find the Western Screech-Owl and the rare Spotted Owl.
The California Spotted Owl — one of three subspecies — is found in the mountain forests and canyons of Southern California and is listed as a species of special concern. Loss of old-growth forest habitat and increasing competition from Barred Owls, which have expanded into California, are the primary threats. The San Bernardino and Angeles National Forests are key strongholds.
Owls in Alaska
Alaska is owl country unlike anywhere else in North America. The state's vast boreal forest, Arctic tundra, coastal rainforest, and treeless mountain ranges support species that birders travel thousands of miles to see. Alaska is the only state where Snowy Owls nest, the only state with reliable year-round Great Gray and Northern Hawk Owls in accessible locations, and one of the few places the Short-eared Owl breeds in significant numbers.
Alaska is the only state in the US where Snowy Owls breed. Nesting on open Arctic tundra across the north slope, they raise their young on a diet of lemmings and other small mammals. When lemming populations crash every 3-4 years, massive numbers of Snowy Owls irrupt south across the lower 48 states — a natural spectacle that draws birders across the country. The owls seen in Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin in winter often hatched in Alaska.
How to Attract Owls to Your Property
The single most effective thing a private landowner can do to attract owls is install the right nest box in the right location. Owls are cavity nesters — they cannot excavate their own holes and depend entirely on natural cavities and boxes provided by other species or humans. By installing owl boxes you are directly addressing the primary limiting factor for owl populations on most private land.
Different species require different box sizes, entrance hole dimensions, mounting heights, and habitat positions. A box designed for Eastern Screech-Owls will not attract a Barn Owl, and a Barn Owl box mounted in the woods will attract nothing. Getting the specifics right is the difference between a box that sits empty for years and one that hosts a family within the first season.
Our complete owl box guide covers every species likely to use a box across the United States — dimensions, materials, placement, mounting height, cleaning schedules, and what to do when your box is occupied. It is the most comprehensive free resource on owl boxes available for private landowners.
Everything you need to know about attracting owls to your property — free, comprehensive, and written for private landowners.
Read the Complete Owl Box Guide →🌳 Owls on Billy Gruett's Trail — Our 30-Acre Michigan Habitat
Our 30-acre wildlife habitat sits in Gratiot County, Michigan — on the same ancient Chippewa trail that a 16-year-old boy named Billy Gruett walked twice a week from 1850 to 1858, carrying the mail through wilderness that most grown men refused to enter. The 250-year-old Witness Oak that stood along his route still stands on our property today.
Owls have always been part of this corridor. Great Horned Owls nest in the old oaks along our fence lines every January. Barred Owls call from the woodlot behind our pond on winter evenings. In good years, Short-eared Owls hunt the open fields along the Pine River at dusk — the same fields where Billy's mail route ran. We have installed owl boxes throughout the property and documented five species in a single season.
The connection between healthy owl populations and healthy habitat is direct and measurable. The same landscape management that supports owls — mature trees, brush piles, native grassland edges, wetlands — supports the deer, turkeys, bats, and waterfowl that make up the full wildlife community of this land. We are just the current stewards of a piece of ground that has been supporting wildlife for thousands of years.
Billy Gruett navigated this trail by the trees. The Witness Oak is still here. So are the owls.
Read Billy Gruett's Story → Our Conservation Work →Frequently Asked Questions About Types of Owls
How many types of owls are there in the United States?
There are 19 species of owls that breed regularly in the United States and Canada. Additional species appear as rare migrants or vagrants. Texas has the highest species diversity with up to 19 recorded species, while states like Michigan and Ohio typically host 8-10 species depending on the season.
What is the most common owl in America?
The Great Horned Owl is the most widespread and commonly encountered owl in North America. It is found in every state and virtually every habitat type — from dense forest to open desert to suburban parks. It is also one of the earliest nesting birds in North America, beginning nest preparation as early as December or January.
What is the smallest owl in the United States?
The Elf Owl, found in Texas and the desert southwest, is the smallest owl in North America — weighing about as much as a golf ball at roughly 1.4 ounces. It nests in saguaro cactus cavities and old woodpecker holes and feeds almost entirely on insects.
What is the largest owl in the United States?
The Snowy Owl is the heaviest owl in North America, weighing between 3 and 5 pounds. The Great Gray Owl, while lighter, is the longest owl species in North America with a wingspan that can exceed 5 feet. Both species visit the northern United States in winter.
How do I attract owls to my yard?
The most effective method is installing owl nest boxes appropriate for the species in your area. Eastern Screech-Owls and Barn Owls are the most responsive to nest boxes across most of the US. Beyond boxes, maintaining mature trees, leaving dead snags standing, and reducing outdoor lighting all help create owl-friendly habitat. See our complete owl box guide for species-specific instructions.
Are owls active during the day?
Most owls are nocturnal or crepuscular — active at night or at dawn and dusk. However, several species are notably diurnal. The Northern Hawk Owl and Burrowing Owl are active during daylight. Short-eared Owls hunt at dusk and can be seen in late afternoon. Snowy Owls in Arctic regions must hunt during the long daylight hours of the Arctic summer.
What do owls eat?
Most owl species are generalist predators feeding primarily on small mammals — mice, voles, rabbits, and shrews. Large species like Great Horned Owls will take prey as large as skunks, rabbits, and other raptors. Smaller species like Eastern Screech-Owls eat insects, earthworms, crayfish, and small birds in addition to mice. The Elf Owl feeds almost entirely on insects. For the full breakdown, see our guide on what owls eat.