Owls (Strigidae)
Baby barred owls: from egg to fledgling
A Barred Owl lays 1–5 eggs. They hatch after 28–33 days, and the young leave the nest 28–42 days later — about 56–75 days from egg to fledgling.
- Eggs per clutch
- 1–5 eggs
- Incubation
- 28–33 days
- Time in the nest
- 28–42 days
- Egg to fledgling
- About 56–75 days
- Broods per year
- 1 per season
- Nest
- Natural tree cavity or old hawk nest; accepts large nest boxes
- Uses nest boxes
- Yes — 7–8 in hole
Stage by stage
- Eggs (28–33 days): 1–5 eggs per clutch. Most songbirds start incubating when the last or second-to-last egg is laid, so the young hatch close together; owls and hawks start with the first egg, so their chicks hatch days apart.
- Nestlings (28–42 days): the young hatch with little or no down and their eyes closed. They grow fast on a diet the parents bring in. In the breeding season barred owls mainly eat mice, voles, frogs and crayfish.
- Fledglings: after leaving the nest, young barred owls are fully feathered but short-tailed and clumsy. They spend days to weeks on low branches or the ground while the parents keep feeding them.
- More broods: 1 per season.
When barred owls nest, state by state
Nesting starts earliest in Arkansas (Jan) and latest in Alabama (May). Months are estimates from regional breeding data shifted for latitude.
| State / province | Nesting season |
|---|---|
| Alabama | May–May |
| Arkansas | Jan–May |
| British Columbia | Feb–May |
| Connecticut | Jan–May |
| Delaware | Jan–May |
| Florida | May–May |
| Georgia | May–May |
| Illinois | Jan–May |
| Indiana | Jan–May |
| Iowa | Jan–May |
| Kansas | Jan–May |
| Kentucky | Jan–May |
| Louisiana | May–May |
| Maine | Feb–May |
| Manitoba | Feb–May |
| Maryland | Jan–May |
| Massachusetts | Jan–May |
| Michigan | Jan–May |
| Minnesota | Feb–May |
| Mississippi | May–May |
| Missouri | Jan–May |
| Nebraska | Jan–May |
| New Brunswick | Feb–May |
| New Hampshire | Feb–May |
| New Jersey | Jan–May |
| New York | Jan–May |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Feb–May |
| North Carolina | Jan–May |
| Nova Scotia | Feb–May |
| Ohio | Jan–May |
| Oklahoma | Jan–May |
| Ontario | Feb–May |
| Pennsylvania | Jan–May |
| Prince Edward Island | Feb–May |
| Quebec | Feb–May |
| Rhode Island | Jan–May |
| Saskatchewan | Feb–May |
| South Carolina | May–May |
| South Dakota | Jan–May |
| Tennessee | Jan–May |
| Texas | May–May |
| Vermont | Feb–May |
| Virginia | Jan–May |
| West Virginia | Jan–May |
| Wisconsin | Feb–May |
Found a baby Barred Owl?
- Feathered, hopping, can grip your finger: a fledgling. This is a normal stage. Keep pets and children away and watch from a distance; the parents are usually close by.
- Bare skin or only pin feathers: a nestling that fell. If you can see the nest, put it back. Touching it won't make the parents abandon it — that is a myth.
- Injured, cold, covered in flies, or caught by a cat: contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. In the US and Canada, ahnow.org finds the nearest one.
- Don't give water or food. Baby birds can choke, and the wrong food can kill them.
More about barred owls
Frequently asked
How long do baby barred owls stay in the nest?
About 28–42 days after hatching. Eggs take 28–33 days to hatch, so it is roughly 56–75 days from the last egg to the young leaving.
How many eggs does a Barred Owl lay?
1–5 eggs per clutch, with 1 per season.
Where do barred owls nest?
Natural tree cavity or old hawk nest; accepts large nest boxes.
What should I do if I find a baby Barred Owl on the ground?
If it has feathers and hops, it is a fledgling and its parents are almost certainly nearby — leave it. If it is naked or has pin feathers, put it back in the nest if you can. Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator if it is injured.