Tytonidae
Appearance
14-20" (35-50 cm). A long-legged, knock-kneed, pale, monkey-faced owl. White heart-shaped face and dark eyes; no ear tufts. Distinguished in flight as an owl by the large head and light mothlike flight; as this species, by the unstreaked whitish or pale cinnamon underparts (ghostly at night) and the golden-buff or rusty back.
Food
Mostly rodents. Feeds heavily on voles; also takes various kinds of mice, small rats, shrews, young rabbits, other mammals. Eats very small numbers of birds, lizards, insects, rarely frogs or even fish. Hunts at night, seldom by day. Seeks prey mostly by flying low over open ground, watching and listening; sometimes hunts by flying down from a perch. Has excellent vision in low light levels, and hearing is so precise that it can strike prey in total darkness. | 
Barn Owl Face |
Habits and Breeding
Woodlands, groves, farms, barns, towns, cliffs. Typically in open or semi-open country in lowlands. May nest in forest or city if nearby area has good open foraging territory, such as farmland, marsh, prairie, desert. Roosts in sheltered sites such as buildings, caves, hollow trees. With its ghostly appearance, rasping shrieks, and habit of roosting in such places as church belfries, this bird has attracted much superstition. However, it is really a good omen for farmers who find it in their barns, for it preys chiefly on rodents. Discovered in its daytime retreat, the Barn Owl bobs its head and weaves back and forth, peering at the intruder. At night it is often heard calling as it flies high over farmland or marshes.
In courtship, male performs display flight, including loud wing-claps; male feeds female.
Uses sites in caves and hollow trees for nests, also many artificial sites such as barn lofts, church steeples, abandoned houses, dry wells, duck blinds, crevices under bridges, nest boxes. Where no existing cavities are available, will dig holes in dirt banks. No real nest built, but will arrange debris into crude depression. Usually 3-8 eggs, sometimes 2-12 or even more. Whitish, sometimes becoming nest-stained. Incubation is by female only, 29-34 days; male brings food to female during incubation. Female remains with young while they are small; male brings food, female feeds it to young. After about 2 weeks, female hunts also. Age of young at first flight roughly 55-65 days. Young return to sleep at nest or nearby for several more weeks. 1-2 broods per year, sometimes 3. | 
Two Barn Owls |
Peterson Online.
Strigidae
Appearance
7 to 10 inches. A small, mottled colored owl with prominent ear tufts and yellow eyes. Has a characteristically large head and flattened face with forward facing eyes that all owls have. Beak is hooked and so are the claws. Color ranges from reddish through browns to greys. Ear tufts may be lowered and hidden. Young birds may lack ear tufts. No other eared owl is the bright red-brown that is commonly seen. Color phases have no age or sex distinctions. Bill is light colored. The voice is a rising and falling whinny-like sound.
Food
Screech owls eat rodents, birds, amphibians, reptiles and even large insects. | 
Pair of Screech Owls |
Habits and Breeding
Range of the screech owl is from just east of the Rocky Mountains eastward and from just across the U.S.-Canadian border southward over the eastern United States. They prefer open deciduous woods, suburban areas and lake shores. When found during the day, they will often freeze, depending on their coloration to hide them.
Nest in a natural cavity or abandoned hole, sometimes a nest box, with no lining. The female lays 3-8 white eggs with a 2-3 day interval between. Incubation is done almost entirely by the female. Depending on which egg she begins incubation with, she will sit on them for 21-28 days. The young fledge in 30-32 days. They are fearless in defense of their nest and will often strike at someone passing by during the night. It is not uncommon for both parents to be found in the nest during the day. The male will bring food to the female at night. The female will sit tightly on the nest if she is discovered.
Stokes Field Guide to Birds: Western Region, Peterson's Field Guide:Eastern Birds, Petersons Guide to Birds Nests East of the Mississippi, and National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds: Eastern Region.
Appearance
A large owl, 18-25" (45-63 cm), with ear tufts or "horns." Heavily barred beneath; conspicuous white throat bib. In flight, as large as our largest hawks; looks neckless, large-headed. Varies regionally from very dark to very pale.
Food
Varied, mostly mammals and birds. Takes many rats, mice, and rabbits, also ground squirrels, opossums, skunks, many others. Eats some birds, up to size of geese, hawks, and smaller owls. Also eats snakes, lizards, frogs, insects, scorpions, rarely fish. Hunts mostly at night, sometimes at dusk. Watches from high perch, then swoops down to capture prey in its talons. Has extremely good hearing and good vision in low light conditions. As with most owls, the indigestible bones, fur, and feathers of prey are coughed up as pellets. | 
Great Horned Owl |
Habits and Breeding
Forests, woodlots, streamsides, open country. Found in practically all habitats in North America, from swamps to deserts to northern coniferous forest near treeline. Aggressive and powerful in its hunting (sometimes known by nicknames such as "tiger owl"), it takes prey as varied as rabbits, hawks, snakes, and even skunks, and will even attack porcupines, often with fatal results for both prey and predator.
May begin nesting very early in north (late winter), possibly so that young will have time to learn hunting skills before next winter begins. In courtship, male performs display flight, also feeds female. Typically uses old nest of other large bird, such as hawk, eagle, crow, heron, usually 20-60' above ground; also may nest on cliff ledge, in cave, in broken-off tree stump, sometimes on ground. Adds little or no nest material, aside from feathers at times.
2-3 eggs, sometimes 1-5, rarely 6. Dull whitish. Incubation mostly by female, 28-35 days. Young: Both parents take part in providing food for young owls. Young may leave nest and climb on nearby branches at 5 weeks, can fly at about 9-10 weeks; are tended and fed by parents for up to several months.
Peterson Online
Appearance
The barred owl is a brown-gray hornless (no ear tufts) owl with white spots on the back, white streaks on the belly that run lengthwise, and the white bars, from which their name is derived, on the neck and breast that run crosswise. Its large, brown eyes (most owls have yellow eyes) allow the barred owl to gather enough light to permit it to see well and function effectively in low light conditions. The barred owl stands 18 to 22 inches tall and has a wingspan of 3.5 to 4 feet.
The barred owl is a likely candidate if you have ever heard an owl call in the middle of the night. It has a distinctive call that can come in measures of eight and would resemble the human phrase "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?" | 
Barred Owl |
Food
Barred owls are the most common large owl found in southeastern Ohio and though they live mostly in the eastern half of the state; sightings occur in western Ohio. Breeding populations of barred owls are thought to occur in 83 of Ohio's 88 counties. Barred owls are rare around larger metropolitan areas, having been replaced by the more adaptable and aggressive great horned owl.
Owls, like snakes, swallow their prey whole. Indigestible parts such as bones, fur, and feathers are regurgitated as pellets. Owl pellets can be used to study the bird's diet habits. One prey list developed from an analysis of stomach contents included meadow voles, mice, chipmunks, squirrels, snails, slugs, spiders, bats, chickens, various songbirds, woodpeckers, crows, a variety of insects, crayfish, and rabbits. In Ohio, meadow voles, short-tailed shrews, and white-footed mice comprise the bulk of the barred owl's prey.
Habits and Breeding
Generally, these owls live in larger tracts of deciduous forests, ranging from mesic, or wet areas such as wooded swamps, poorly drained woodlots, and protected hillsides to drier, upland area. Recent research indicates that the preference for wetter sites is because these are areas less likely to have been disturbed, particularly by timber activities that remove the mature, deteriorating trees used for nesting sites, rather than a need for water. The presence of a suitable number of mature trees capable of providing perching and nesting cover are crucial for barred owl habitat. Pine groves are frequently used as roosting cover for this species which overwinters in Ohio.
As is typical of other owl species, barred owls rarely build their own nests. Instead they will frequently use hollow tree cavities; old hawk, squirrel, and crow nests; and on occasion man-made nesting structures. Although it could not be considered typical nesting behavior, barred owls have been observed sharing a nest and incubation responsibilities with hawks, with young of both species hatching. Nests built by barred owls alone are flimsy and poorly constructed; eggs deposited in owl-constructed nests frequently roll out, breaking on impact. | 
Barred Owl |
When a successful mating occurs, clutches of two or three eggs, and on occasion four, are laid in March. Incubation requires about 28 days and will begin, for each individual egg, once it is laid. Thus, hatching dates within a clutch are staggered. Eggs will hatch about late March into mid-April. The eggs are a dull white with a slightly roughened surface.
Owlets will open their eyes at one week of age and leave the nest cavity at about 30 days of age, but are not fledged (able to fly) until seven to nine weeks of age. After they leave the nest cavity, the young will typically roost on a tree branch, which is oftentimes reached by climbing, until they can fly. The young barred owl climbs trees by grasping the bark of the tree with its beak and talons, flapping its wings then letting go with the beak, quickly stretching its neck out and grabbing onto the bark with its beak again, and pulling and/or walking itself up the tree.
ODNR website, Ohio Division of Wildlife, Wildlife Notes
Appearance
15 inches, with a wingspan of 3 feet, 3 inches. This owl is about crow-sized with long ear tufts that are set close together on the top of its head. Heavily mottled brown with a chestnut-colored disk on each side of its face with grey in the central part of the face. Slender in silhouette. Can make its body appear even more elongated by compressing its feathers, this aids in camouflaging. Underparts are streaked lengthwise instead of being barred sideways. Wings are long and extend beyond the tip of the tail when folded. Eyes are yellow. The voice is a series of soft low hoots, whistles shrieks and cat-like meows. They are seldom heard outside of the breeding season.
Food
Eats mostly voles and mice, but also amphibians, reptiles and insects. | 
Long-eared Owl |
Habits and Breeding
Ranges from Canada to the southwestern U.S. and nearly into Florida in the east. Also found in Eurasia and northern Africa. Prefers woodlands, thickets and pine groves. Often roosts in groups close to the trunk of pine trees in winter.
Nests are unlined or lined very little. Usually in a deserted crow, hawk or squirrel nest. Sometimes they will evict the previous owner. The 3-8, usually 4 or 5, white eggs are laid one every other day. Incubation by the female starts with the first eggs and lasts 21-28 days. The young fledge in 23-26 days. The male will roost near the nest during the day and bring the female food at night.
Stokes Field Guide to Birds: Western Region, Peterson's Field Guide: Eastern Birds, Petersons Guide to Birds Nests East of the Mississippi, and National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds: Eastern Region.
Appearance
A 13-17 inch crow-sized bird with long wings. Tawny brown in color with heavy streaks below and blackish patches around each eye. Very short ear tufts are rarely visible. Usually silent, but on the nesting ground it will give barks, hisses and squeals. Has a habit of hovering. Flight is erratic and bounding. Large buffy wing patches and a black wrist patch can be seen while in flight. Eyes are yellow. Often seen in daylight, usually in the late afternoon.
Food
Eats small rodents, mostly voles. When feeding young, they will also hunt songbirds and some game birds. Usually hunt at dawn and at dusk. | 
Short-eared Owl |
Habits and Breeding
Breeds from Alaska and Canada south from California to New Jersey. Also found in South America and the old world. Found in freshwater and salt marches and open grasslands. One of the few owls that builds nests. The 4-14, commonly 5-7, white eggs are laid in a grass-lined depression on the ground, often concealed by weeds or bushes. Larger clutches are to be found when the prey is abundant. The female is the primary incubator with the male feeding her. The eggs are incubated for 21-28 days and the young fledge at 31-36 days.
Stokes Field Guide to Birds: Western Region, Peterson's Field Guide: Eastern Birds, Petersons Guide to Birds Nests East of the Mississippi, and National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds: Eastern Region.
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