The state of Michigan supports a deep diversity of owls , prosper in environments that wander from dense forests in the compass north to expansive meadows and even suburban immature spaces . For raspberry enthusiasts and nature lovers likewise , understanding the differenttypes of owls in Michiganadds a unexampled level of excitement to exploring the outdoors .
This guide highlights 14 distinctiveowls in Michigan , cover permanent residents , episodic winter visitors , and rare migratory mintage . Each mintage has unequaled demeanour , preferred habitats , and gripping adaptations suited to the Great Lakes realm .
From the small and tightlipped Eastern Screech Owl found in locality to the prominent Snowy Owl seen in open fields during wintertime , these remarkable Bronx cheer provide wonderful opportunities for wildlife observation . Keep reading to memorise about the varioustypes of owlsin Michigan , thoroughgoing with helpful designation tips and interesting facts .
Different Types of Owls in Michigan
Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio)
The Eastern Screech Owl is a pocket-sized , stocky owl that measures around 6 to 10 inches grandiloquent , making it one of Michigan ’s most compact raptors . It sport outstanding ear tussock and comes in two distinct color morphs — gray and ruby - brown — which help it go into tree diagram bark seamlessly . Its eyes are large and yellow , ideal for nocturnal hunt . This owl is often heard more than encounter , known for its eerie , horse - like nicker and trilling calls that echo through the night .
This species is extremely adaptable and thrives in a form of habitats include deciduous forests , suburban parks , plantation , and even backyards with old trees . It prefers cavities in fledged trees for nesting but pronto take over adult male - made nest boxes , making it a familiar visitor for many hiss enthusiasts . They are twelvemonth - round occupier in Michigan and are especially well - suited to sphere where mankind and wooded environments overlap .
Despite its small size of it , the Eastern Screech Owl is a unnerving predator , feeding on a all-embracing variety of prey including insects , smallrodents , hiss , frogs , and evenfish . One enchanting fact about this hooter is its power to rest completely still and invisible during the solar day , relying on its disguise to keep off detection . When threaten , it will stretch its trunk and pin down its eye to resemble a broken tree branch .
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
The Great tusk Owl is Michigan ’s most iconic and powerful owl species . It stand between 18 to 25 inch grandiloquent and sports prospicient , tufty “ horns ” that are actually feather . With a cryptical , booming “ hoo - hoo ” call , pierce jaundiced eyes , and a savage stare , this bird commands tending . Its feather is mottled gray - brown with white and black accents , provide fantabulous disguise in a range of environs .
This owl is remarkably versatile , reside nearly every habitat in Michigan — from dense woodland and farmlands to metropolis park and suburban timberland . It nest betimes in the year , often using abandoned nest of hawks , vaporing , or squirrels . In fact , Great Horned Owls are among the earliestbirdsto breed in the state , sometimes place egg as early as January even when coke is still heavy on the ground .
The Great Horned Owl is a top vulture with one of the blanket diets among owls . It will hunt skunks , cony , razz , snakes , and even other raptors . A especially impressive trait is its ability to crush prey with 300 pound per square inch of force . Despite their fierce reputation , these bird of Minerva are indispensable for ecosystem balance , aid ascendance populations of gnawer and other small-scale mammalian .
Barred Owl (Strix varia)
The Barred Owl is a average - to - big - sized bird of night , well recognized by its round foreland , lack of auricle tufts , and mystifying brown eyes — uncommon among North American owls . Its name fall from the horizontal “ bars ” of brown and white across its chest and upright streaking on its belly . The Barred Owl has a very typical call that sound like “ Who cooks for you ? Who fake for you all?”—a utterance that often echoes through wooded areas .
This species prefers old , matured woodland with approach to water , shit the wetlands , river valleys , and sloppy woodlands of Michigan idealistic home ground . It is a year - unit of ammunition resident in the State Department and often remains in the same territory for life . These owl nest in tree cavities or use old war hawk or squirrel nests , and their comportment is usually observe by their loud , resonant calls at cockcrow or dusk .
exclude Owls hunting by learn quietly from perches and swoop up down on prey with incredible stealth . They feed on minuscule mammalian , amphibians , reptilian , and occasionally fish . One absorbing behaviour is their habit of forebode during the solar day , especially on cloud-covered days , which is strange for most owls . Although generally shy , they can become quite outspoken and even queer when approached by humans in their dominion .
Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus)
The Northern Saw - whet Owl is one of the smallest and most secretive hooter in Michigan , measure only about 7 to 8 in tall . It has a rounded head , large fortunate center , and no spike tuft . Its name come from its repetitive , high up - pitched call that resembles the sound of a power saw being focalize . These bird of night are unmanageable to spot due to their nocturnal habits and excellent camo , often roost wordlessly in dense conifers during the day .
In Michigan , the northerly Saw - whet Owl is found mostly during migration and winter months , although some may cover in the northern part of the DoS . Their favored habitat include mixed or coniferous forests , especially those with compact understory for daytime concealment . During fall migration , they are sometimes captured and banded at owl monitoring place , providing researchers with brainwave into their baffling lives .
These owls search small rodents like mice and shrews , but they also eat birds and insects when available . Despite their size , they are fast-growing hunter . A fun fact : they often store surplus food in tree branches or pit during winter to eat later when prey is scarce . Because of their secretive nature and bantam size , sightings are considered a treat for birdwatchers .
Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus)
The Snowy Owl is one of the most visually striking owls in Michigan , have sex for its heavy size and stark white plumage accented with gloomy markings . grown males are closely all white , while female person and untried birds show more blackball . These owls have bright xanthous eyes and lash out heads without ear tuft , giving them a regal , phantasmal coming into court . With wingspan up to 5.5 feet , they are among the turgid bird of night in North America .
Snowy Owls are winter visitant to Michigan , arriving from the Arctic tundra during irruptive years — when prey is scarce up north and large figure migrate further in the south . They favour open landscape that mimic the tundra , such as airports , beach , fixed field , and lake shores . The flat , undefended terrain of Michigan ’s farmland and Great Lakes coastline allow for an ideal impermanent base during these month .
Unlike most owls , Snowy Owls are diurnal and often run during the day , especially at morning and dusk . Their primary quarry is voles and lemmings , but in Michigan , they may feed on modest mammals , duck’s egg , and birds . A captivating note : their bearing often sparks a undulation of turmoil in the bird community of interests , with sightings carefully tracked across the state . Despite their calm appearance , they are trigger-happy huntsman , using keen eyesight and muscular talons to catch fair game .
Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)
The Long - eared Owl is a medium - sized bird of Minerva with long , narrow ear tuft that sit near together on the top of its head , give it a very snappy and upright appearance . Its plume is mottle brown , buff , and calamitous , providing excellent camo among conifer subdivision . The bird ’s face is marked with a striking orange facial saucer and piercing chicken middle , and it can grow to about 13 to 16 inches in height .
This bird of night is mainly a wintertime visitant to Michigan , particularly in southerly regions of the state . It opt dumb woodland near open areas , where it can roost in thick foliation during the solar day and hunting in nearby fields at night . During the cold-blooded month , they often gather in minuscule communal roost in dense pine groves or true cedar swamps — sometimes with several individuals share the same tree .
Long - eared owl are nocturnal and feed mostly on small mammalian like voles and mice , which they locate by sound thanks to their highly sensitive ears . One interesting behavior is their quiet , low - hoot call , often only see during the breeding time of year . Though not easy to spot due to their diffident nature and secretive roosts , find oneself a group of them in winter is a memorable experience for birder .
Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)
The Short - eared Owl is a medium - sized owl with rounded wing , a pallid facial phonograph recording , and very short , often invisible ear tufts . It has a buff - colored physical structure with sour streaks and black - rim yellow center that give it a perpetually intense look . This owl has a buoyant , moth - similar flight trend that ca-ca it well recognisable in loose state .
In Michigan , the shortly - eared Owl is most ordinarily found in winter and during migration in wide - undecided habitat such as prairies , grasslands , fenland , and agrarian field . Unlike many owls , this species is participating during the day — peculiarly around dawn and dusk — create it easier to celebrate than other owl . It often hunts by fly low over the terra firma in hunt of small mammals like voles .
shortly - eared Owls are highly nomadic , often shift locations depending on prey availability . They are know to nest on the land in northerly part of North America , but in Michigan they are in the first place winter visitor . One absorbing fact is that their universe fluctuate dramatically count on the teemingness of rodents , and in years of high target density , they may seem in orotund phone number .
Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula)
The Northern Hawk Owl is a rare but trance visitor to Michigan , especially during irruptive winter when nutrient source become scarce in Canada . This owl is average - sized with a long tail end , flat head word , and no ear tufts . It has a livid face bordered by black and dark barring across its chest and stomach . As its name advise , it resemble a hawk in both appearance and hunt behavior .
Unlike most owl , the Northern Hawk Owl is principally diurnal and can often be seen perched atop marvelous trees or telephone poles during the daytime , skim for quarry . It choose open boreal wood , clearings , and burned areas , and when it gossip Michigan , it ’s usually in the Upper Peninsula or the northerly Lower Peninsula during winter months . sighting are rare but memorable , often drawing aid from birdwatchers across the region .
These hooter hunt small mammal and birds with exceptional visual visual acuity and have been observed diving event on prey from groovy heights . One fun fact is their ability to notice prey under snow from as far as 100 foot by . Because they are so rarified in Michigan , any confirmed sighting is considered a high spot of the wintertime birding season .
Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus)
The Boreal Owl is a small , problematic owl species that resides chiefly in the heavy boreal timberland of Canada and Alaska but from time to time appear in Michigan ’s northerly forests during the winter . It is about 8 to 11 in in size , with a rounded head , pale facial disc , and large yellowed oculus . It lacks ear tufts , giving it a soft , rounded silhouette that tot to its ghostly appearance in modest visible radiation .
In Michigan , sightings of Boreal Owls are super rare and typically limit to the Upper Peninsula during irruption years or cold winters . They favour matured coniferous forest with little human disturbance , where they perch quietly during the twenty-four hour period . Because of their secretive behavior and remote habitat , even experienced birder may go years without find one .
Boreal Owls are strictly nocturnal and feed on small gnawer , birds , and insect . Their call is a repetitive , flabby “ toot ” that can carry long distances in the still winter air . These owls are bodily cavity nester and often rely on one-time peckerwood holes for breeding website . Despite their rarity , Boreal Owls are a prized uncovering for dedicated owl study teams and northern birdwatchers .
Barn Owl (Tyto furcata)
The Barn Owl is a pale , medium - sized hooter with a distinctive heart - regulate facial phonograph recording , dark heart , and long leg . Its plume is golden - buff above and white below , give it a ghostly appearance as it fly silently through the dark . This coinage is one of the most widely distributed hooter in the macrocosm but is quite rare in Michigan due to its sensitivity to cold climate and habitat limit .
In Michigan , Barn Owls are most often report from the southern part of the Lower Peninsula , especially in rural areas with admission to open grasslands and sometime b or abandoned buildings where they can roost and nest . Because Michigan winters are harsh and longsighted , these owls have difficulty instal stable populations , and most reports are of sole mortal during warmer months .
Barn Owls are excellent rodent Hunter , using their sharp horse sense of hearing to site prey in total dark . They are known for their eerie , raspy screeches rather than hoots , which can startle anyone unfamiliar with them . A bewitching fact : a undivided Barn Owl can eat over 1,000 mice in a individual breeding season , take a shit them worthful allies in agricultural pest control . However , preservation crusade are needed to wield their presence in Michigan .
Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa)
The Great Gray Owl is one of the orotund owl in North America by length , strive up to 33 inches tall with a wingspread of closely 5 metrical foot . It has a distinctive round aspect with concentrical gray rings , little yellow eyes , and a blank “ bowing association ” marking on its throat . Despite its size , it ’s surprisingly light due to downy feather and a comparatively small torso deal .
In Michigan , the Great Gray Owl is an extremely rarefied winter visitor , typically seen only in the Upper Peninsula during irruption years when food becomes scarce far northward . It favors dense coniferous forests and boggy lowlands , often near open clearings or meadows where it hunt for field mouse and other small mammals beneath the snow .
This owl is known for its ghostlike silence in trajectory and its ability to notice prey hidden beneath deep C. P. Snow . Unlike most owls , it often hunt during daytime time of day . A fascinating fact is that it can plunge through snow as deep as 18 inches to catch rodents . Birders who manage to see one in Michigan regard it as a once - in - a - lifetime sighting .
Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)
The Burrowing Owl is a small , long - legged bird of night with shining sensationalistic oculus , a flat facial disk , and a short tail . Unlike most owls , it is fighting during the day and is often consider standing upright on the background or on low perches . Its plumage is sandy chocolate-brown withwhite detection , ideal for blending into open prairie or scrub habitats .
In Michigan , the Burrowing Owl is considered extremely rare and primarily prove up as a vagrant in the southern contribution of the commonwealth . There are only a handful of substantiate sightings , and these are usually in open agricultural lands or disturbed grasslands , far from their distinctive western and southern breeding ranges . They nest in burrows , often those give up by ground squirrels or prairie dogs — something Michigan ’s landscape mostly lacks .
Burrowing Owls are highly social and often seen in small colonies elsewhere in their range . They bob their head when threatened and will mime the hissing of a rattlesnake to deter predatory animal . Their quirky behaviors , diurnal natural action , and oddment make them a sought - after but seldom - seen species for Michigan birders .
Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis)
The Spotted Owl is a medium - to - magnanimous owl with a rounded straits , dreary eye , and brownish plumage marked with white spots . Its facial disc is pale with sour borders , and it lacks ear tufts , giving it a soft , Graeco-Roman owl silhouette . This metal money is intimately link with old - growth woods , especially in the western United States .
In Michigan , the Spotted Owl is not a resident specie and has no established universe . It is considered a rare vagrant , with only a few unconfirmed or exceedingly rarefied record in the diachronic database . Most sightings are probable misidentifications or get out captive birds , as its cognize reach is in the Pacific Northwest and part of the Southwest .
The Spotted Owl is illustrious in preservation circles due to its decline from habitat loss and challenger with the invasive Barred Owl . While it is not expected to occur naturally in Michigan , its preservation story emphasize the liberal importance of protecting owl habitats nationwide . Any verified appearance in Michigan would be extraordinary and open to rigorous scrutiny .
Migratory Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)
The Long - eared Owl is a svelte , medium - sized bird of Minerva with outstanding auricle tufts , a long tail , and copious , cloud brown plumage . Its facial disc is orange - rusting with black borders , giving it a wide - eyed , intense expression . Although Long - eared bird of night breed in the northerly Great Lakes and Canada , a migrant population regularly passes through Michigan during spring and fall . These owls favour roosting in dense evergreens or overgrown thickets during migration , staying well - hidden and silent during the day .
In Michigan , they are most often observe as migrants in March – April and again in October – November , peculiarly in southern and fundamental division of the body politic . Though not known to breed widely in Michigan , a few have try draw close in the Upper Peninsula . Their pet home ground during stopovers include motley woodlands near open area for hunt . They in the first place feed on small mammals like voles , mice , and sometimes humble birds , hunting wordlessly in the fall or early morning time of day .
A fascinating doings of Long - eared Owls is their tendency to shape communal wintertime roost , sometimes with loads cluster together in one patch of tree — a rarified treat for birder . Despite their secrecy and camouflage , experienced birdwatchers can pick out them during migration by carefully scanning dense pine plantation . Their eery , low - cant over hoots are often the only hint to their mien , and they remain one of Michigan ’s most challenging and problematic migratory bird of night .
