Even though we are living in the city, our wildlife is sometimes a page out of the television show Wild Kingdom. As avid bird feeders, we get our share of songbirds, sparrows, grackles, and starlings. What triggers my amazement are the larger birds flying in our neighborhood. The pileated woodpeckers, hawks, occasional turkey vultures, and owls give me pause to think about the living creatures we have occasion to see.

I've seen the Great Horned Owl being chased by crows, which scold and pursue this interloper. The other owl that frequents our yard is the Barred Owl. This bird never ceases to make me stop and observe him/her for as long as their visit. We hear them often in early summer. We have witnessed their flights through our trees in late fall and snowy, late spring. Male and female Barred Owls are very easily distinguished.

I think our Barred Owl nest is about a block away in a hollow tree on a busy street. He is not hard to spot since he can be as big as 25 inches long. Ours is a big one, not to be confused with other owls. His wing span can be as wide as 49 inches. So as you can see, when he flies, watching him is truly a thrill. Despite his size, he may only weigh around two pounds. He got his name because of the bars on his feathers. With brown eyes and gray and brown markings, he has no ear tufts (like the Great Horned). He is usually stubby looking and has horizontal bars on his chest and vertical streaks on his belly.

Some interesting facts about the Barred Owl:

• They have adapted well to suburban neighborhoods that have good tree canopies.
• They can take over nests excavated by pileated woodpecker or old nest of hawks, crows, or squirrel. Look up to see if you have a tree that has been topped and is hollow.
• Barred Owls predators are the Great Horned Owl and automobile accidents.
• Their life cycle is eggs laid in early spring; 2-4 per clutch, hatch in about 4 weeks, and fledge 4-5 weeks later.
• They can live 10 years but in captivity more than 20 years.

They can be a friend of your yard if you have a small rodent problem. Hunting at night, they will swoop down on mice, shrews, moles, voles, rabbits, squirrels, opossums, and occasional birds. They will also hunt at dawn or dusk. These are the times where we have seen them in our yard. Watching them fly with such a wide wing span is breathtaking. Then they sit for long periods on a branch in our elm or oak tree. I sometimes wonder if they have just had a meal and tease us by wanting us to see they have a full stomach. That leads me to their call. When you hear this owl, it sounds like he is hooting. I have learned that these owls don't migrate. In one study, a group of 158 birds were banded. It was found that they had moved no farther than six miles away. One final fact: A group of owls is called a parliament. There are more than 200 different owl species. Hopefully one will take up residence for your enjoyment.