Barred owls, recognized for their distinct “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?” call, are increasingly moving into suburban and urban environments, often leading to conflicts with homeowners. These conflicts typically arise from the owl’s predatory behavior toward small domestic pets or poultry, or from their loud nocturnal vocalizations. While the presence of an owl suggests a healthy local ecosystem, their proximity can become an issue requiring careful, non-harmful intervention. Encouraging a barred owl to relocate must be undertaken with caution and respect for wildlife protection laws.
Legal Protections Governing Owl Removal
Any action taken to discourage a barred owl must operate within strict federal guidelines. Barred owls are covered under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), a federal law that makes it illegal to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill, possess, or sell any migratory bird, including its parts, nests, or eggs, without a permit. This means lethal removal, trapping, or any action causing physical harm is strictly prohibited for private citizens. The protection extends even to their inactive nests, though an inactive nest without eggs or young may sometimes be removed.
The only circumstance under which the “take” of a protected bird may be authorized is through a federal depredation permit issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). This permit provides short-term relief when birds are causing property damage, posing a threat to human health, or damaging protected wildlife. Obtaining a depredation permit is a lengthy process requiring documentation of previous failed non-lethal deterrence measures. Furthermore, authorized “take,” even with a permit, is typically carried out by certified wildlife specialists, not the homeowner.
You do not need a federal permit to simply harass or scare a barred owl, provided the methods used are non-lethal and do not cause injury. Therefore, legally “getting rid of” a barred owl focuses solely on non-harmful harassment and modification of the environment. Bypassing these legal protections can result in significant fines and legal penalties.
Passive Measures: Making Your Property Unattractive
The most sustainable approach involves making your property less appealing as a hunting or nesting site. This strategy focuses on eliminating the elements that initially attracted the owl, primarily food sources and favorable perches. Barred owls are attracted to areas with high populations of small prey animals like voles, mice, and rats. Securing potential attractants is the first step in passive deterrence.
Eliminate outdoor food sources that support rodent populations, such as spilled birdseed, unsecured garbage cans, or pet food left outside overnight. Securing or removing bird feeders, particularly those that attract ground-feeding rodents, reduces the owl’s prey base. If you have a fish pond, stringing highly visible, taut lines of cord or wire across the water’s surface can prevent the owl from accessing fish.
Habitat modification can also make the area less suitable for the owl’s hunting and perching needs. Barred owls prefer high vantage points, often using tall, dense trees or utility poles to observe prey. Consider pruning or thinning dense tree canopies to reduce ideal roosting spots. For structures like rooflines or fence tops, installing bird-specific anti-perching spikes makes landing uncomfortable without causing injury.
Protecting vulnerable domestic animals, such as small dogs, cats, or backyard poultry, is necessary to prevent predatory behavior. Keep all small pets indoors from dusk until dawn, the owl’s most active hunting period. Poultry coops should be fully enclosed with a solid roof and walls, or covered with sturdy wire mesh netting with openings no larger than one inch.
Active Deterrence Strategies
When passive measures fail, active deterrence involves immediate, non-harmful actions to frighten the owl and encourage it to leave. These methods rely on the owl’s natural aversion to perceived threats and sudden environmental changes. Auditory deterrents are highly effective, as owls typically avoid human activity and loud, unexpected noises.
A simple method is to make a loud noise, such as yelling, hand-clapping, or blowing a whistle, whenever the owl is sighted. For a persistent approach, hanging noise-making devices, like aluminum cans or wind chimes, near known perching spots creates intermittent sounds. Commercial acoustic devices that emit high-frequency sounds or predator calls are also available, but they must be used consistently to prevent the owl from habituating.
Visual deterrents create an unsettling stimulus that disrupts the owl’s sense of security. Hanging reflective materials, such as strips of metallic ribbon, old CDs, or small mirrors, near roosting sites produces unpredictable flashes of light that startle the bird. Motion-activated floodlights that illuminate the owl’s perch unexpectedly can also disrupt nocturnal hunting activities.
Decoys and effigies, such as plastic owls or hawk silhouettes, are often employed but require management to maintain effectiveness. Owls quickly habituate to a stationary object, learning it poses no real threat. To combat this, any decoy must be moved frequently, ideally every few days, to sustain the illusion of a live predator. A combination of visual and auditory methods, rotated regularly, offers the best chance of successful, long-term deterrence.
When to Contact Wildlife Authorities
There are specific circumstances where a homeowner should stop DIY deterrence efforts and immediately contact professional wildlife authorities. If you discover a barred owl that appears injured, visibly sick, or trapped in an unnatural location, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or your state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) or Fish and Wildlife agency. These professionals are trained and legally permitted to handle and transport protected wildlife safely. Do not attempt to rescue or handle an injured owl yourself, as they can inflict severe injury, and unauthorized handling may violate federal law.
Official consultation is necessary if the owl’s presence poses a genuine threat to public safety or if non-lethal methods have consistently failed to resolve a chronic nuisance issue. State wildlife agencies can provide technical assistance, perform a site visit, and offer species-specific advice tailored to local regulations. They can also advise on the rare process of applying for a depredation permit if all other options have been exhausted. Utilizing these resources ensures the resolution is effective and compliant with all federal and state wildlife protection mandates.