Types of Owls in Arkansas (Complete Guide)

With more than 600,000 acres of lakes, Arkansas is home to a diverse range of habitats, from beautiful hot springs, rivers and lakes, to forests, swamps, prairies, suburbs and urban areas. With such undeveloped space, it is an ideal habitat for many species of birds, especially owls. With such a large owl population, you might be wondering, which owls can be found in Arkansas?

Nine species of owls are found in Arkansas’ “Natural State,” including the barn owl, barred owl, burrowing owl, eastern screech owl, great horned owl, long-eared owl, northern sawmill owl, short-eared owl, and snowy owl. Several of these owls are permanent residents, while others are rarer and can only be found seasonally.

Read on to learn more about these fascinating creatures!

barn owl

white grass

barn owl on post

young barn owl

length:

33cm to 39cm

span:

80cm to 95cm

weight:

250g to 350g

See:

Uncommon, but rare in winter.

James P, XC621140. Available at www.xeno-canto.org/621140.

Learn more about barn owls

barn owl

You can spot barn owls throughout Arkansas year-round, but they can be difficult to see. You can recognize a barn owl by its heart-shaped facial disc, smaller eyes, bare toes, long legs, serrated talons, and short, square tail. Their body color varies from pale gold to cinnamon.

Barn owls get their name because they nest in man-made structures, such as barns, where they can spot small rodents for dinner. They usually live in farms or other buildings in rural areas, so are rare in cities or suburbs.

eastern screech owl

Megascops asio

eastern screech owl

Eastern Screech Owl (Rufous Morph)

Eastern screech owl in tree hole

eastern screech owl

length:

16cm to 25cm

span:

48cm to 61cm

weight:

170 grams to 190 grams

See:

whole year

eastern screech owl

A permanent resident of statewide (and most of its habitat) Arkansas, the Eastern Screech Owl is a small but mighty bird about the size of a robin. Their main diet consists of songbirds, rodents and various insects. As highly camouflaged birds, they blend in with the surrounding forest so they can swoop down to catch their prey.

If you hear songbird calls and predator alerts, there may be an eastern screech owl nearby. You can recognize the Eastern Screech Owl by its reddish body, black facial disk, ear tufts, spotted white shoulders, and spotted-striped belly.

great horned owl

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great horned owl

Great horned owl sitting on tree stump

Great Horned Owl in flight

Pair of great horned owls

length:

46cm to 63cm

span:

140cm

weight:

910 grams to 2.5 kilograms

See:

whole year

great horned owl

Another year-round resident of Arkansas, the great horned owl is the largest owl in the state and the most common owl in North America. They are exactly what we picture when we think of owls because they are so photogenic. You can recognize these beautiful birds by their yellow eyes, ear hair, and large size.

They are the only birds on Earth known to catch and eat skunks but also feed on rodents. They are considered a ferocious predator and enemy of the red-tailed hawk. They can live in a variety of habitats from backyards to forests, so Arkansas is an ideal place to spot them.

snowy owl

swollen lymph nodes in the groin

snowy owl

snowy owl in flight

snowy owl landing

snowy owl standing in the snow

length:

53cm to 66cm

span:

125cm to 166cm

weight:

710 grams to 2.95 kilograms

See:

rare, but most likely winter

snowy owl

The elegant and showy snowy owl is rare in Arkansas and can only be found in December or January, but is rarely seen in Arkansas, but has historical reports. Since they breed in colder climates, they only travel south for two months before returning home.

You can find snowy owls in fields, prairies, beaches, dunes, and marshes. The snowy owl, so called because its pure white plumage camouflages Arctic birds, nests near lemmings and other small rodents. However, snowy owls have been known to prey on birds as large as geese.

burrowing owl

athena

burrowing owl

Closeup of a Burrowing Owl

Burrowing owl coming to land

Pair of juvenile burrowing owls

length:

19cm to 25cm

span:

51cm to 61cm

weight:

170 grams

See:

Uncommon, but between September and April

burrowing owl

The second you see the rhythmic nod; you’ll know it’s a burrowing owl. This species is beloved by bird trackers due to its unique appearance and behavior. They can be found in open rural settings and are one of the smallest owl species. You can recognize them by their light brown plumage with white spots. The more spots an owl has, the older it is usually.

Their tails are short and square, and their eyes are piercing yellow. When hunting by day or night, their diet includes large insects, reptiles, rodents and fish.

The best time to spot burrowing owls in Arkansas is September through April, however, they can be fairly rare and uncommon.

striped owl

Sandpiper

striped owl

barred owl in flight

Striped owl eating crayfish

Barred Owl Trimming Owl

length:

43cm to 50cm

span:

31.5cm to 35.5cm

weight:

470 grams to 1.05 kilograms

See:

whole year

striped owl

With stable populations throughout Arkansas, you can spot barred owls during the daytime year-round, but they can sometimes be difficult to spot. Their calls sound like “Who’s cooking for you, who’s cooking for all of you?” and it’s easy to spot them. You’ll recognize this species by the mottled brown and white spots on the tail and wings. They have disturbingly dark eyes streaked with pale black.

The barred owl is a non-migratory bird that nests in tree cavities or nest boxes and lives in forests. Their biggest predator is the great horned owl, but they also eat small rodents and insects.

long eared owl

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length:

35cm to 37cm

span:

84cm to 95cm

weight:

210g to 370g

See:

Uncommon, but mostly October to April

Learn more about the long-eared owl

long eared owl

As the name suggests, the long-eared owl is a medium-sized owl not commonly found in Arkansas. The best time to see this bird is between October and April.

They are difficult to spot because they breed in the northern United States and Canada, and they are stealthy fliers. This makes the long-eared owl an excellent night-time hunter of mice, rats, other rodents, and insects. They prefer to live in open areas, such as fields and swamps, where they can hunt. You can recognize this species by its long ears, piercing yellow eyes, round facial disk, spotted underbelly, and striped wings.

short eared owl

Asio flammeus

Close-up of a short-eared owl

Short-eared owl in flight

Short-eared owl perched on a fence post

Short-eared owl flying

Short-eared owl nest with chicks and eggs

length:

34cm to 42cm

span:

90cm to 105cm

weight:

260g to 350g

See:

October to April

female short-eared owl hooting

Jarick Matusiak, XC552057. Available at www.xeno-canto.org/552057.

short-eared owl hooting

Carl-Bigstrand, XC443556. Available at www.xeno-canto.org/443556.

Learn more about the Short-eared Owl

short eared owl

The best time to spot short-eared owls in Arkansas is winter, when they aren’t breeding. They usually arrive in October and leave in late March, early February. You can usually find them in scrubland areas or open fields at dusk or dawn during hunting trips.

Interestingly, short-eared owls can be found sitting on the ground waiting for prey. This species can be identified by their short ears, yellow eyes, round face disk and brown and white patterned plumage.

Northern Sawmill Owl

Feng Shui Grass

Northern Sawmill Owl

Northern sawmill owl perched on a tree

Pair of Northern Sawmill Owls

length:

18cm to 21.5cm

span:

45cm to 60cm

weight:

100 g

See:

Between October and February, but rare

Northern Sawmill Owl

One of the smallest raptors in the United States and the smallest owl in Arkansas, the Northern Sawmill Owl is rare but may be seen from October to February. However, they are on the state’s threatened list, so unfortunately, you may never see them as they are becoming increasingly rare.

This species is nocturnal, so they hunt extremely small rodents and insects in the forest at night. Unlike other owls, this owl will eat mice and other rodents between meals. They earned their name because their cry sounds like a saw being sharpened on a millstone.