Barred Owl

(Strix varia)

The call of the Barred Owl is one of my favorite sounds in the night forest. Sometimes it is described as sounding like “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?”

It’s not common to see these owls active during the day, so we were very surprised to come across one taking a dust bath in the middle of the road one afternoon in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina.

We watched it spread its wings and wiggle around, but also it sat motionless for long periods. Eventually it flew up into a tree next to the road and allowed us to take some nice portraits. Since that time we have encountered Barred Owls on this same stretch of road multiple times. Yet another reason why we love visiting the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge!

Barred Owl (Strix varia) photographed in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina, USA.