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What kind of owl is this? Almost stepped on it (rabbit hunting) before it flew up -has 2 large white eggs in it and have seen another nest with 3 large white eggs in it on the ground on another part of the place.

bared

Barred owl

http://www.owlinstitute.org/barredowlacct.html

http://www.owling.com/Barred_nh.htm

Yep, barred owl.

added another good link

Yep thats her the Barred owl. Donia one side note with this owl is the scream you hear from owls that everyone says is a screech owl is actually a barred owl. The other eggs you saw could have very well been another owls, Barred owls usually hang out around areas together unlike Great Horned owls. Barred owls will group together and harass the big ole GH owls and try to run them off. How in the hell I can remember all this from Ornithology I don't know, especially when I can't remember any statistics or calculus.hehehe

The first time it was seen, it was thought to have been hurt, but it flew off after almost stepping on it the second time and we looked closer and saw the eggs and shallow nest. The eggs she was on and the other 3 were just alike, only the nest sights were different - this one was in hard woods and the other is in a grassy/thicket type area (only noticed the 3 eggs, never saw an owl on those 3). This one wasn't moving from the eggs when I came back with my camera (was looking to take a pic of the eggs to id), but she never really got alarmed (or at least she didn't show it - her eyes never fully opened as long as we didn't move too fast). I got within 2 feet of her just to see if she'd get ruffled any, but she didn't.

peewee wrote:Yep thats her the Barred owl. Donia one side note with this owl is the scream you hear from owls that everyone says is a screech owl is actually a barred owl. The other eggs you saw could have very well been another owls, Barred owls usually hang out around areas together unlike Great Horned owls. Barred owls will group together and harass the big ole GH owls and try to run them off. How in the hell I can remember all this from Ornithology I don't know, especially when I can't remember any statistics or calculus.hehehe

Actually, the Barred Owl makes the "who cooks for you, who cooks for you all?" call you hear every turkey hunter trying to make. The Barn Owl makes the evil hiss/screech that will make your hair stand up on your neck.

Cal, I've never heard of Barred Owls nesting on the ground. That is very interesting!

I can't believe one of y'all didn't ground check it. It most not have been banded! LOL

[quote="Wingman
Cal, I've never heard of Barred Owls nesting on the ground. That is very interesting![/quote]

I was wondering the same thing. I have never heard of an Owl nesting on the ground

Wingman wrote:Cal, I've never heard of Barred Owls nesting on the ground. That is very interesting!

me either, except for some pygmy variety of owl that isn't even in our neck of the woods, never seen one in a picture on a nest on the ground. The eggs looked like xxxlarge chicken eggs and it was sitting on them when it alomst got stepped on (flew up in a tree) and then when I came back with camera it was on them and wouldn't move. Thought it was hurt first time we encountered it - didn't fly just kinda skipped off a little ways, but didn't notice the eggs. We found another nest of 3 eggs on the ground in a different area but nothing was on or near the nest. There were no trees big enough to support a nest or any with hollows in them close by...

You got any pics of the eggs?

I forwarded the info to the Missbird list and have been told there is only 1 documented case of them nesting on the ground. Some believe it is a Short-eared Owl, but your pic is definitely of a Barred Owl.

no pics of the eggs, that is what i was going back to get pics of originally, but it wouldn't get off the nest. i'll drop by the sight tomorrow on the way in from turkey hunting and see if they are still there & get a pic. tomorrow will be 2 weeks since the pics were taken, so they may not be there.

Hey, peewee, you were right. The Barred does have a weird screeching/ screaming call. I was just thinking of the evil hiss the Barn owl makes. I just typically think of the "turkey locator" call when I think of the Barred Owl.

Damn river hunter that is a beautiful dog ! !

Here are the eggs the owl was sitting on with a lighter for reference (all I had in my backpack small enough for reference).
They are white - the owl finally figured out they were dead and the dirt is from the flash flood rains.