The Big Apple is home to a wide range of birds of prey, including owls. The state has many different habitats that can support this variety of owls, which is what we’re talking about in this article.
There are 10 species of owls found in the state of New York. Below we give you an overview of each one along with a picture, interesting info and a few facts including when you might see one in NY.
Let’s have a look at the owls of New York!
The 10 Species of owls in New York
The 10 species of owls in New York are the Barn Owl, Eastern Screech owl, Great Horned owl, Snowy Owl, Barred owl, Long-eared owl, Short-eared owl, Northern saw-whet owl, Northern Hawk Owl, and the Great Gray Owl.
1. Barn Owl
Scientific name: Tyto alba
Length: 12.6-15.8 in
Weight: 14.1-24.7 oz
Wingspan: 39.4-49.2 in
Barn owls have a very distinct appearance, with a heart shaped white face and black eyes. They like to roost and nest in barns and silos, hence their name, but also in dense trees and cavities.
After dark they fly low over open fields, grasslands and marshes, listening for prey scurrying below. In fact, it is thought they have the best ability of any animal to locate prey by sound alone! They will nest in owl boxes built to the appropriate size. They can be found year round in New York, but are rarely spotted.
For more cool facts, we did a whole article about Barn Owls here.
2. Eastern Screech owl
Scientific name: Megascops asio
Length: 6.3-9.8 in
Weight: 4.3-8.6 oz
Wingspan: 18.9-24.0 in
The tiny screech owl is one of the smallest on our list. Eastern Screech owls are widespread, year round residents of New York. Their plumage (which can appear in both gray and red varieties) resembles the coloring and patterns of bark so closely, that they almost disappear when sitting in tree nooks and cavities.
They have a diverse diet of small songbirds, mice, rats, moles, squirrels, insects, earthworms, frogs and lizards. They will readily use backyard owl boxes, and might even visit your bird bath.