They nest in tree cavities like the image above but will also take to nest boxes if provided. Western Screech-owls don’t actually make a screeching sound like their cousin the Eastern Screech-owl but more of a “toot toot” sound. They can be found in open woodlands as well as urban areas like parks and cities across the entire state of Arizona. Western Screech-Owl photo by: Shravans14 | CC 4.0 They roost silently in the trees and like many other owls can be very difficult to spot.Ħ. I’ve never actually heard a whetting stone, but their call sounds like a “too too too”. Listen for these elusive little owls near forests on quiet nights between January and May. Saw-whet owls got their name because their calls sound similar to a saw being sharpened by a whetting stone. The Northern Saw-whet Owl is recognizable by its cat-like face yellow eyes, and small size. This little owl has a year-round status in the majority of Arizona with a non-breeding status in the southwestern corner of the state. Even though they have a widespread range worldwide, their overall population is thought to be in a steep decline. The Pueo, Hawaii’s only native species of owl, is a subspecies of the Short-eared Owl. You can see their short ear tufts in the image above, but many times they lay flat and are hard to see. They are one of the most widespread owls in the world and are commonly seen in the daytime. They migrate north each year to their breeding grounds in Canada and Alaska. Look in open areas such as grasslands and fields around dawn or dusk if you want to spot one. Short-eared Owls have a non-breeding range in Arizona so your best chance to see one in the state will be in the winter. Listen for their long, low hoots at night that can be heard from long distances as well as long and narrow owl pellets on the ground if you want to find one. They feed mostly on small mammals such as rodents and young rabbits but will also occasionally prey on other birds.
Long Eared Owls prefer dense vegetation and forests for nesting near open grasslands and fields for hunting.
They have extra large ear tufts giving them a surprised expression rather than the angry one that the Great Horned Owl has. These secretive owls are very well camouflaged and may be hard to spot unless you know exactly where and when to look. Long-eared Owls are residents to most of the state of Arizona all year long. Barn Owls have amazing low-light vision like other owls, but their ability to track and hunt prey based on sound alone is incomparable to any other species of animal on the planet. They then regurgitate the unneeded parts in pellet form. They are silent and efficient nocturnal hunters that swallow their prey whole, bones and all. Look for flashes of pale white wings or listen for their screeches at night if you want to spot one, but they are known for being particularly elusive. They got their name by making their nests in man made structures like abandoned buildings and barns. These beautiful birds of prey can be identified by their whiteish, heart-shaped faces. They are nocturnal but can often be seen at dusk sitting on fence posts or in tree branches waiting for darkness to roll in.īarn Owls are also year-round residents to Arizona. Great Horned Owls are slightly larger in size than Red-tailed Hawks and the two raptors are known to be enemies. They are very widespread and regularly seen in forests, swamps, and deserts as well as more urban areas like cities, suburbs, and parks. Great Horned Owls are easily identified by their large size, furrowed brow and ear tufts, and yellow eyes. They are powerful hunters and fierce predators that can take down large prey and will often make a meal out of other birds of prey of equal size.
Great Horned Owls are large birds of prey that are year-round residents to Arizona, and all of North America. The 13 species of owls in Arizona are the Great Horned Owl, Barn Owl, Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Western Screech-owl, Whiskered Screech-owl, Mexican Spotted Owl, Northern Pygmy Owl, Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, Flammulated Owl, Burrowing Owl, and the Elf Owl. In this article I’ll cover those species, where they can be found in Arizona, and give some fun facts about them. These 13 species of owls in Arizona I could confirm have a range in the state based on various sources like and. Even though many types of owls make their home in Arizona all year long, a few migrate from far south and aren’t year-round residents. Arizona has a warm climate and is right in the migration path of hundreds of species of birds, several species of owls included. I recently wrote an article about the different species of hawks in Arizona, so I decided to cover the types of owls in Arizona as well.
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