The mysterious owl is a favorite bird for many. The fact that most of us never see them due to their camouflage and nocturnal habits makes them all the more fascinating. It can also lead you to wonder just how many different kinds of owls can be found where I live? In this article we will look at the 8 species of owls in Rhode Island.
8 Owls in Rhode Island
Aside from the rare vagrant, these are the 8 species of owls you will find in Rhode Island: the barn owl, the barred owl, the eastern screech owl, the great-horned owl, the long-eared owl, northern saw-whet owl, the short-eared owl and the snowy owl.
While Rhode Island is a smaller state, it provides many habitats from forests to shoreline that can provide homes for owls. Some of these are comfortable near people and you may see them in wooded neighborhoods. Others you will have to travel into more mature forest to take a trip to the shore to see.
1. Barn Owl
- Scientific name: Tyto alba
- Length: 12.6 – 15.8 in
- Wingspan: 39.4 – 49.2 in
- Weight: 14.1 – 24.7 oz
Barn owls are found year round in Rhode Island, although they are less common than some others on this list. They can be found mainly in open habitats such as grasslands, fields, ranches, agricultural land and strips of forest.
Barn owls like to nest in man-made structures that have lots of eaves and beams such as barns, attics and church steeples. This is probably one way they got their name. They also nest in tree cavities, caves and cliff-sides. Barn Owls are very nocturnal and are unlikely to be found out during the daylight.
At dusk and through the night, they fly low over fields using their amazing hearing to locate mice and other rodents. Their large, ghostly white face and belly can be quite a spooky sight if you catch a glimpse of them in low light!
2. Barred Owl
- Scientific name: