7 Sneaky Tricks for Finding Owls in the Wild

[@malolm]

I've only ever seen a Barred owl and an Eastern Screcch Owl, my favoirte sighting was when I was on a birding walk and I spotted a fledgeling baby screech owl, he was so cute, great video guys, keep up the amazing work!

[@Koko-rc3pz]

Thanks, helpful video for me! I'm new to birding and owls are one of my biggest targets, i love their "huge fluffball with two eyes" look!

[@agaritagardens4916]

Very precise advice, excellent video. Over the last 4 years, we've regularly had male/female barred owl pair and a juvenile come to our backyard about once per week. They are majestic creatures. Best regards, Agarita Gardens.

[@mr1pearl]

I had a Great Horned Owl on the neighbors fence in my back yard oh this was about 6 months ago ! Top 5 encounters all time !!!

[@OspreyFlyer]

I do a lot of hiking and birding. I mostly hear owls, but occasionally see one during the day, almost always Great Horned Owls. Yep, American Crows raising a ruckus means owl or hawk. I've also seen owls pass by me with American Crows in pursuit. My most frustrating experience was this past autumn. The night before BirdCast indicated Northern Saw-whet Owls were migrating through. I heard one at dawn. I wasn't able to visually locate that little owl.

[@RedKoopaPlumber]

Though I've never found owls while searching. I stumbled on a great horned owl that roosted in a horse paddock by accident a week ago. And have seen burrowing and barn owls over the past few years.

[@johnpradarelli9991]

I’ve been fortunate enough to have three separate encounters with Great Horned owls. One pair and their owlets widely publicized in a small park in Appleton, one pair and their three owlets in Seminary woods, and one that I surprisingly just happened upon out in the open while walking through the Mequon Nature Preserve. Now I’m just hoping to enjoy the sighting of a screech owl, or any other species for that matter. Great video as usual!

[@somnuswaltz5586]

I hear screech owls and their eerie calls all the time in the middle of the night, I have yet to see one though. I love owls

[@kishascape]

Same. There was a great horn I used to hear all the time at night over the years and always tried to spot it but never could. I never count heard-only on my lists so would like to finally sight one some day.

[@juanitakelly3082]

Great summary, Thanks!

[@JulianCole-g8d]

Awesome! Thanks for the tips! I’m still on the lookout for a Northern Saw-whet owl

[@janetlohmann3338]

I saw a snowy owl only once, on Lake Michigan in Sheboygan in winter. What a thrill!

[@tomservo5347]

Last year I had a HUGE horned owl hunting in the backyard. I haven't seen him lately, but I'm seeing tufts of rabbit hair in the yard. Another owl (not sure what type) I always encounter on the blacktop at the same time on the way to work. I think he's using my headlights and sound to find scurrying mice as he's always swooping on something as I pass.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Much like John Wick, he’s back

[@toxicthefox9448]

I've once seen a Barn Owl sleeping in a pine tree in someones yard and a short-eared owl in my backyard. I also hear short-eared and great-horned owls a lot. Though, I've never seen a Great-Horned Owl in the wild.

[@Beryllahawk]

Beautiful footage you've chosen for this one! And great advice! I'm fairly sure there's a Barred Owl that hunts in my neighborhood, I don't know if it roosts here though. And it might not be a Barred, but it's definitely SOME kind of owl, because one late night as I was chatting with a friend in my front yard - I got buzzed by it!!! Quite the most surprising bird encounter I've ever had, bar none! But it was night and well - all owls look a bit alike in the dark from the back, haha!

[@UrbanXBird]

WOW! I learned so much!

[@HerrCrocDoc]

I saw that Elf Owl in AZ a year ago.

[@lynelleweber6447]

What was the term you used for an owl that's most active at sundown and sunrise? Thx

[@173jaSon371]

crepuscular

[@BadgerlandBirding]

👆what Jason said

[@garymeredith2441]

You guys are absolutely right , owls are some of them are such sensitive species that can be seen and so many people has stressed out so many owls here in Southern California makes me sick .😢

[@kishascape]

I love the thought of little chickadees harassing various prey birds. The peasants rising up against their oppressors 😂

[@MylifeofTao]

Awesome! Thanks for the tips! I’m still on the lookout for a Northern Saw-whet owl🦉

[@birdman5223]

Solid info, az uzual 😉👍

[@somebodyandthem]

The craziest owl I’ve seen/heard is a sparred owl, it’s flipping crazy call, not quite a barred or a spotted

[@rockitoutnight8160]

I like owl more than eagles

[@valeriekoch9128]

I have seen a lot of short-eared owls this winter.

[@judd0112]

So I am having to now issue for like the past month. I live in New England and I photograph/video the family of bald eagles that live down the street. So I’ve got all the equipment and know how. And the very evasive owl is challenging. It’s January and it’s 3 am. It’s below zero and I hear this crazy noise coming from outside. Cause it’s dead quiet so I mute the tv and open the window and al lights off. It’s a great horned owl. I’ve personally NEVER heard their very distinguishable whoot in person. So I knew exactly what it was but it sounds so close but I can’t locate it. This went on for a while that night. Can’t find it. So a few weeks go by and around same time I hear that whoot again except this time there is like 3 or 4 all talking to each other. One literally sounded like he was within 20 ft of me and they sounded like they were in a giant square one in each corner all whooting over and over for at least 2 hours. Does the whoot carry some long distance that you could thing it’s very close when it’s not ? My 1st go around trying to locate a Great Horned Owl. I can’t just go out and all Willy nilly with my super spotlight at 3am passing neighbors windows. But I’m starting to not know what I’m missing

[@shillinhite3911]

The trick that worked for me was this: Kayak through the woods at sunset!

[@fastmamajama]

ufo experiencers sometime remember grey aliens as owls.

[@toneloke5023]

i see them all the time in my back yard

[@oct123456]

Not sneaky tips at all just typical notes that any basic owl birder should know

[@judd0112]

Well it seems that these days there is an awful amount of people without any common sense. That’s sad and scary

[@oct123456]

After a month I still stand by what I said but not so harsh. I get it now there are a lot of people that want to find owls and birds but truly don't know where to start.

[@CoffeaAribca]

Hahaha. "Sneaky" tips.

[@janetlohmann3338]

I saw a snowy owl only once, on Lake Michigan in Sheboygan in winter. What a thrill!