California’s vast and varied ecosystems provide a home for a surprising number of owl species. These nocturnal hunters, known for their silent flight and exceptional sensory adaptations, are residents across nearly all of the state’s diverse landscapes. Their existence relies on healthy populations of the small mammals and insects that make up their diet.
The Diversity of California’s Owls
The Great Horned Owl is perhaps the most recognizable and widespread owl in California, often referred to as the “tiger of the sky” for its powerful predatory nature and size. This large owl is distinguished by its prominent feather tufts, mistakenly called “horns,” and a deep, resonant hoot that can be heard across various environments. Its remarkable adaptability allows it to thrive everywhere from dense forests to suburban parks.
The Barn Owl is another common resident, identifiable by its ghostly white, heart-shaped face and tawny back feathers speckled with black and white spots. Unlike the Great Horned Owl, the Barn Owl does not hoot, instead emitting a distinctive, drawn-out hissing scream, often while quartering low over fields. Their specialized wing feathers allow for nearly silent flight, which aids in hunting small rodents in agricultural areas and grasslands throughout the lowlands.
California also hosts the diminutive Western Screech-Owl, a small bird known for its mottled gray or brown plumage that provides superb camouflage against tree bark. This species possesses small ear tufts and is a master of disguise, often going unnoticed while roosting in tree cavities during the day. A unique example is the Burrowing Owl, which breaks the typical owl mold by being active both day and night and dwelling in underground burrows, often those abandoned by ground squirrels.
The California Spotted Owl is closely associated with the mature and old-growth forests of the Sierra Nevada and coastal mountain ranges. This medium-sized owl lacks ear tufts and is identified by its dark eyes. The Great Gray Owl is another imperiled species, which is a state-endangered species largely restricted to the high-elevation montane meadows adjacent to dense forests.
Geographic Distribution and Preferred Habitats
The ubiquitous Great Horned Owl and the Barn Owl can be found in nearly all regions, from the valley floor to lower mountain elevations. They are generalists that adapt well to human-modified landscapes and natural woodlands. They are common sights in the Central Valley, the coastal scrub, and even urban green spaces where prey is abundant.
Species that favor open terrain, such as the Burrowing Owl, are primarily concentrated in the state’s low-elevation grasslands, agricultural fields, and desert scrub areas. These owls rely on ground-dwelling mammals, like ground squirrels, to provide the necessary burrows for nesting and shelter. Conversely, the California Spotted Owl is a specialist that requires the multi-layered canopy and large, complex trees found in mature forests across the Sierra Nevada.
High-elevation forests and their associated meadows are the specific domain of the rare Great Gray Owl, which is found almost exclusively in the central Sierra Nevada mountains. This species requires large dead trees for nesting platforms and hunts voles and other rodents in the open space of the mountain meadows. Meanwhile, the Western Screech-Owl is widely distributed across the lower-elevation wooded habitats, including riparian corridors, oak woodlands, and suburban neighborhoods, often roosting in natural tree cavities or abandoned woodpecker holes.
Identifying California’s Nocturnal Hunters
For the casual observer, identifying California’s owls often relies more on sound than on sight, since most species are active after dusk. The most widely heard owl call is the deep, rhythmic “hoo-h’HOO-hoo-hoo” of the Great Horned Owl, a sound that carries far through the night air. The Western Screech-Owl produces a series of whistled hoots that accelerate into a sound resembling a bouncing ball, which is a key acoustic identifier for this smaller owl.
The Barn Owl, which lacks the typical hooting call, is recognizable by its harsh, rasping, and non-musical scream or screech, often heard as it hunts over open ground. By contrast, the California Spotted Owl has a softer, more rhythmic four-note hoot, a sound that is often heard in the dense, quiet confines of old-growth forests. Listening for these unique vocalizations is often the most practical method for confirming the presence of a specific species.
Visual identification, when possible, focuses on two main features: the presence of ear tufts and the color of the eyes. The Great Horned and Western Screech-Owls both display feather tufts, which help them break up their silhouette, while the Barn, Spotted, Burrowing, and Great Gray Owls have round heads without these tufts. The California Spotted Owl is further distinguished by its dark brown eyes, a trait that sets it apart from the yellow-eyed Great Horned Owl and the black-eyed Barn Owl.