The morning was chilly and dark. Gemma (my sweet dog) and I were up for an early start as we usually are, at a time when most houses are still dark and few cars are yet on the road. At this time of the day it’s unusual to even see other walkers or runners. It’s quiet and I relish quiet alone time.

We set off to the left and made it past 4 or 5 houses before I heard the call, coming from somewhere near my house. I love when the barred owls call. No matter the time of night (or day), no matter how tired I am or busy, an owl call brings me to the present moment. An owl call makes me smile, gives me an odd sense of safety, of being. I usually hear the calls when the world has gone to sleep, so being woken by an owl makes me feel like I’m part of a world everyone else is sleeping through. They’re missing it. But I’m not missing it.

It was the second call that made me fully stop. A female responding. And it was a third call, from a second male, that made me turn full around. Three barred owls, chatting back and forth. I imagined a duel over the female. I imagined, in that moment that she felt powerful, as she was granted the choice of her mate. I imagined the males, one on each side of the street, perched in a tree in what’s left of our suburban woods, desperate to be heard and accepted.

As we approached the area, they hushed. The moment was fleeting and I just felt so grateful to be a witness to it; my reward for rising early. I decided to keep walking in this new direction and we took a route that was unusual for us.

And that led us to a new sound, again, coming from a stand of woods, this time about ¾ of a mile from my home. This call I was unfamiliar with. It sounded like a strange bark. But it called my attention high into the bare trees where the sun was just starting to light the eastern horizon. That’s when I caught the silhouette of a Great Horned Owl. It was classic: no neck, broad shoulders, ear tufts up. I hadn’t ever seen an owl in the wild before. I’ve tried. I’ve heard them often, but this was my first sighting.

It sat and watched. Barked once more. Then, it flew away, somewhere deeper into the stand. I saw it land on another branch but couldn’t see the silhouette any longer. The morning light was still too new, too dim, too low on the horizon. Bark.

Owls in Suburbia

Owls are a top predator and for that reason, they are a terrific benefit to suburbia. They are adept rodent hunters. Allowing them to control rodent populations in and around human developments is safer for humans and animals alike than the use of rodenticides. Below I give some information about common owl species and how you can help these wonderful birds.

Barred Owl (Strix varia)

Barred owl looking down from a perch on a tree limb.

This handsome raptor is common in the eastern US but has also made its way to western Canada and the Northwest US. These owls won’t veer too far from a water source. You are more likely to see one at night but you may be lucky enough to catch it roosting peacefully during the day. More often than not you would hear his classic call “Who cooks for you.” They prefer to nest in cavities that already exist (they won’t make their own) but may also take over a deserted stick platform nest. They prefer a tree cavity 20-40 feet up.

Barred owls are medium in size, stocky with round heads; they do not sport ear tufts. Their tail is rounded. If they don’t call, you won’t hear them as they are capable of soundless flight. All the better to hunt nocturnal rodents with!

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)

This owl is common throughout North America and is widespread throughout numerous habitat types; those taken over by humans and those left alone.

It’s a big bird with ear tufts, yellow eyes and a deep call. They are powerful predators preferring other birds and mammals to eat but won’t turn down a smaller rodent, amphibian or other diminutive food sources. They, like the barred owl, hunt from a perch at night and will catch prey on the wing.

They nest in tree cavities and will prepare a nest with feathers, fur, leaves and bark. They typically do not reuse a nest year over year.

Screech Owl (Megascops asio)

Found east of the Rockies, screech owls are common to both suburbia and non-developed areas, with one major requirement for its habitat: trees. While their preferred nesting cavity is in trees they will nest in boxes situated in a wooded area. They can be grey or reddish but either way will be barred and spotted to camouflage easily with tree bark. They are small, no more than 10 inches long with square tail feathers and very small ear tufts. They’re coloring makes them very difficult to spot during the day so your best bet to identify one is through it’s trill like call.

How to Help Owls

Habitat loss and degradation, are costing owls their hunting and breeding sites. Recognizing that our human spaces are really shared spaces goes a long way to providing a safe space for all.

1. Advocate for land conservation in your area.

2. Keep a portion of your yard “wild” as a sanctuary for wildlife.

3. Do not use herbicides or pesticides at all, or use them sparingly.

4. Keep cats indoors. They often hunt for the owl’s food, just for sport; also, cats could access a nest and harm nestlings.

5. Consider building an owl nest box for your yard. Do some research about common owls in your area and the needs of specific species to increase the likelihood it will be used.

6. Adopt a lifestyle of “less is more.” The more energy we consume, goods we dispose of, needless travel we undertake, the more strain there is on our climate. A changing climate is a threat to humans and owls alike.

7. Learn more! Check out All About Owls, an organization run out of my childhood home, Sonoma County Ca.