Barred Owl

Photograph of a Barred Owl, perched on a tree limb against a background of blurred, green tree leaves. The tree branch lies horizontally at the bottom of the photo. It is gray, mottled with green moss and gray-green lichen. The branch starts just right of the picture’s left edge. It bows upward to just past mid-frame then bows sharply upward, then curling down to the bottom of the frame. At the bottom right of the frame is another, thicker horizontal branch that also bows upward. It is darker and is mottled with moss. The owl stands just to the left of the middle of the picture and dominates the picture. Its face is round and gray with a heart shaped notch at the top. It has dark eyes with a glint of light in each. Each of the eyes are encircled by fine, gray feathers with pale brown stripes. Between the eyes is a small, ovoid, dark patch. The beak is yellow and sets just below the ovoid patch. It sets in a triangular patch of feathers that are dark at the top that transitions to gray as they reach the rounded bottom of the triangle. It is holding a brown insect in its beak. The owl’s face is encircled by a cowl of brown and gray striped feathers. Its bulky body is white with horizontal stripes of brown feathers. Its 2 bulky legs are light brown with yellow and black claws that are grasping the tree branch.  Its gray tail feathers protrude from under the body and below the tree branch.
Barred Owl with Prey;
Island Ford, Chattahoochee NRA, Roswell, Georgia, USA; MAY 2023

Barred Owls are very common in the Atlanta, Georgia area. I am sharing 2 perspectives on this one, very cooperative, owl that I took a few weeks ago. I think it was just showing off the bug it caught.

Please click on caption to see this image at higher resolution!

Photograph of the face of a Barred owl against a background of blurred, green  tree leaves. Its face is round and gray with a heart shaped notch at the top. It has dark eyes with a glint of light in each. Each of the eyes are encircled by fine, gray feathers with pale brown stripes. Between the eyes is a small, ovoid, dark patch. The beak is yellow and sets just below the ovoid patch. It sets in a triangular patch of feathers that are dark at the top that transitions to gray as they reach the rounded bottom of the triangle. It is holding a brown insect in its beak. The owl’s face is encircled by a cowl of brown and gray striped feathers. Its bulky shoulders and body is white with horizontal stripes of brown feathers. There are a few twigs and leaves randomly located in the picture.
Barred Owl with Prey – Close-up;
Island Ford, Chattahoochee NRA, Roswell, Georgia, USA; MAY 2023

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

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