Everglades National Park Birding Tour: Barred Owl

This big owl can often be heard, particularly in winter, before it is seen - as, like most owls, its primarily active at night. But during the day it may be heard hooting its "who cooks for you, who cooks for you all" call. The owl pictured here was heard while on a fishing trip deep in Everglades National Park and quickly took our minds off fishing as we located him perched along the mangrove shore as he and another owl exchanged calls. When he had enough of us, he somehow silently flew away through the thick canopy of mangroves with amazing agility.

Barred Owls nest in cavities in large trees and dine on small mammals, reptiles, amphibians and occassionally fish. Sometimes their chest feathers have a pinkish hue and its thought that's because they are dining on shrimp.

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