The sounds of the night often include the calls of owls, whose vocalizations are important for communicating across their territories. These calls are complex messages used for courtship, marking boundaries, and warning other individuals. We often interpret these distinct patterns into memorable, easy-to-recognize phrases, or mnemonics, which helps identify the different species.
The Barred Owl’s Signature Call
The owl responsible for the distinctive “who cooks for you” call is the Barred Owl, scientifically named Strix varia. This large, highly vocal bird is identified by its loud, emphatic eight- or nine-syllable hoot. The call is a two-phrased hooting sequence that descends in pitch, translating into the familiar phrase, “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?”. This characteristic vocalization sometimes earns the owl the informal name, the “Eight-Hooter Owl.”
The Barred Owl is highly expressive, utilizing a wide array of sounds beyond its signature hoot, including shrieks, grumbles, and calls compared to a monkey’s. These vocal displays are common and loud during the breeding season, which occurs from late winter into early spring. Biologists often use playback of the “who cooks for you” call to conduct hooting surveys and locate the owls.
Where the Barred Owl Lives
The Barred Owl’s range extends across much of North America, primarily throughout the eastern United States and Canada. This non-migratory species is found from Florida and Texas north to southern Quebec and Nova Scotia. It is also expanding its range westward, establishing populations in the Pacific Northwest, including Washington, Oregon, and California.
This owl is primarily an arboreal species, preferring dense, mature forests. Ideal habitats include wooded swamps, river bottoms, and riparian areas where water is present. The presence of large, old trees is important because the Barred Owl cannot excavate its own nest. It relies instead on natural tree cavities or abandoned nests of other large birds.
Physical Traits and Daily Habits
The Barred Owl is a large, stocky owl with a distinctive appearance. It possesses a large, round head and notably lacks the “ear tufts” or feather projections seen on owls like the Great Horned Owl. Its most distinguishing physical trait is its dark brown eyes, which is unusual since most North American owls have yellow eyes.
The bird gets its common name from the pattern of its plumage, which features horizontal bars of brown and white across the neck and upper chest. Its belly is marked with bold vertical brown streaks. While most owls are strictly nocturnal, the Barred Owl is often active and calling during the day. This opportunistic hunter is a carnivore with a varied diet, feeding on small mammals like mice and voles, as well as reptiles, amphibians, and fish, often catching prey from a perch.