Can You Identify This Bird?

[TMax]

On a hike of Lone/Rocky in the Catskills last year I caught sight of this owl in a tree (owl1). When I snapped the picture, the sound of the shutter caused it to turn and look at me (owl2). Shortly thereafter, I heard another owl hoot and then this one flew off. Mcorsar and I were talking about it on our more recent Lone/Rocky hike. He wasn't able to identify the specific type of owl and suggested I post it here. Any ideas?

 

[TDawg]

Great shot! Although I'm afraid I can't help.

 

[dRitter]

it looks like it might be a Boreal Owl, according to the Audubon Field Guide they are not common

 

[Chip]

great picture ! This is a page on Boreal owls. Yours looks bigger than the 9 to 11" they describe here.
How far away/big do you think it was ?

This is a barn owl, but your head looks different.

I think "Puck" here is going to an Audobon meeting here this Saturday, email to him, maybe it's a "previously thought to be extinct species", or something !

 

[grouseking]

Long Eared Owl??

It almost looks like a Long-Eared Owl, but I'm certainly not an Owl expert.
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i3660id.html


grouseking

 

[Dugan]

Some additional info would be very helpful - approximate size? Do you remember what the call sounded like?

The Northern Saw Whet has a distinctively pale face, as in your second picture, but it would be unusual to see one. That and the Boreal are often confused.

 

[sleeping bear]

I'm thinking short-eared owl because of the facial markings. I think barn awls are pretty uncommon.

Also, could be a barred owl, as they are likely the most common. In looking at several different photos, the facial colorations do have some variations.

Nice shots!

 

[Puck]

I vote juv. Northern Saw Whet Owl
are there conifers in this area?
Describe the hoots you heard...It may have been a different owl. If they were steady monotone toots it was a sawwhet.

Short eared owls are a grassland-shrubland bird

The feet are way out of poprortion for this owl to be a long eared. they are the much bigger then screetch owls and saw whets but smaller the great hoprned. However there foot radius is the same as the screetch owl, so think big bird with small feet.

juv boreal owl is a good choice, however, given the range not likely, possible but not likely, After all one showed up in cental park NY a few winters ago. Also they have more of a white "X" onthe forhead the sawwhet has a white patch.

I want to check out that tail band more just to be sure.

Great shots by the way. I know a lot of birders who would kill for a shot (or a sighting) like this.

 

[una_dogger]

It looks like a Barred Owl to me. They are very common in the Hudson Valley and they have a full white face. I've seen many of them out hiking in the daylight hours. The make a Whooo Whooo Whoooo! call.
Sawwhet's are teeny tiney and make a sound like a wet saw (cartoony kind of sound).
I'm not an owl expert or ornithologist AT ALL but I've been told that the Barred's are really common.
Sabrina

 

[Puck]

It looks like a Barred Owl to me. They are very common in the Hudson Valley and they have a full white face. I've seen many of them out hiking in the daylight hours. The make a Whooo Whooo Whoooo! call.
Sawwhet's are teeny tiney and make a sound like a wet saw (cartoony kind of sound).
I'm not an owl expert or ornithologist AT ALL but I've been told that the Barred's are really common.
Sabrina

Barred owls do not get this dark nor do they show patches of contrasting color. Yes sawwhets are small up to 8" while barred are up to 20". (Keep in mind that a juvenil will have the size of an adult with shorter tail feathers.
The bird in the photo looks small to compared to the beech leaves close to it.

 

[una_dogger]

Wow; good observations!

I hope someone can ID this owl because I've seen similar and have been falsely calling them Barred Owls!



Here's a link to some tips for IDing them
http://www.nenature.com/IDTips/BarredOwlIDTips.htm

 

[Puck]

Wow; good observations!

I hope someone can ID this owl because I've seen similar and have been falsely calling them Barred Owls!



Here's a link to some tips for IDing them
http://www.nenature.com/IDTips/BarredOwlIDTips.htm

Looked at your link. In my biriding experience I have learned that it is important to understand your location and time. If you are in a mixed forest you can expect barred owls, great horned, Screach, long eared. Saw whets will be found in the patches of conifers. (BTW as far as owls go they are pretty damn cute) This area will rule out short eared and great greys. Great greys will be seen very rarely in our area. When they do show up they will hang out in conifers during the winter months and the area would most liely be filled with birders.

The saw whet is more common then you think, they are very shy and have a soft toot toot toot. They wont boom away like a great horned so you can here them within 20 acres. Just remeber you have probably been watched by far more owls then you have seen on your hikes.

 

[Chip]

I know nothing about owls (except what's in their pellets), but this Northern Hawk Owl has a similar dark "framing" of the face. Granted they are not normally seen down here, but I suppose it's possible.

 

[jbrown]

My vote is for Saw-whet juvenile. Seems to have the same facial characteristics, body color, and foot color. (You can see the little yellow toes on his left foot on the branch.)

Another awesome shot of a juvenile.

 

[una_dogger]

Another awesome shot of a juvenile.

Eeek! High cuteness factor!

 

[Tom Rankin]

My vote is for Saw-whet juvenile.

My son, who is studying to be an ornithologist at SUNY ESF, concurs. He even hikes too!

 

[Puck]

My son, who is studying to be an ornithologist at SUNY ESF, concurs. He even hikes too!

Does Dr Krodsma teach there?

 

[giggy]

ahh - is it an owl???

 

[Jay H]

ahh - is it an owl???

who?

Jay

 

[sierra]

Eeek! High cuteness factor!

Even a tough old mountain like me would have to agree, dang cute