An owl with many voices

Nicole Hoffman was lucky enough to snap a photo of a barred owl in Seven Oaks, in Wesley Chapel. These owls lack ear tufts, and have a long, barred tail. Mainly nocturnal, its daytime roost is always well-hidden in deep woods. The barred owl also is known as the ‘hoot owl.’ It uses 10 different calls, each for a specific purpose. These calls include wails, whines, squeals, and even an eerie laugh. Its habitat is dense coniferous or mixed woods around rivers and swamps, and in upland woods.