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Barred Owl (Strix varia)
Status:  Common
Seasonal Occurrence:  Year-round resident
Distribution: Statewide
Preferred Habitat(s):  Forested areas, especially bottomland areas
Nesting Habits:  Nests in hollow trees, but will also use nest boxes

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
Status:  Common
Seasonal Occurrence:  Year-round resident
Distribution: Statewide
Preferred Habitat(s):  Forested areas, semi-forested areas and semi-open farmland
Nesting Habits:  Nests in old crow or hawk nests made from sticks, but will also use hollow trees
Listen to Great-horned Owls:
(Sound files courtesy of Todd Hendricks and George Weems)
Hoots

This adult Great-horned Owl has an injured wing.
Photo by: Kathy Caminiti

Great-horned Owl nest in a dead tree.
Photo by: Kathy Caminiti

This young Great-horned Owl just fledged!
Photo by: Kathy Caminiti

A close up view of a young Great-horned Owl.
Photo by: Kathy Caminiti

Eastern Screech-Owl (Otus asio)
Status:  Common
Seasonal Occurrence:  Year-round resident
Distribution: Statewide
Preferred Habitat(s):  Forested areas, wooded edges, semi-forested areas and semi-open farmland
Nesting Habits:  Nests in tree cavities, but will also use nest boxes
Note:  Screech Owls usually come in one of two colors: gray or red.  Both can be found in Kentucky. A brown morph can also be found, but is more common further south, especially in Florida. 

 
Adult Eastern Screech-Owl (Red Morph)
Photo by: Kate Heyden

Recently fledged Eastern Screech-Owl  (Red Morph)
Photo by: Kathy Caminiti

Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
Status:  Uncommon / Rare 
*Kentucky Species of Greatest Conservation Need *
Seasonal Occurrence:  Year-round resident
Distribution: Statewide, though less common in eastern Kentucky
Preferred Habitat(s):  Open areas: grassland, pasture, hayfield, cropfield, old field, open marsh, reclaimed strip-mine land, etc.
Nesting Habits:  Nests in hollow trees, silos, grain bins, barns, building crevices, and will also use nest boxes
Note:  Please report nesting Barn Owls by calling 1-800-858-1549 or by e-mailing kathryn.heyden@ky.gov.  Please visit our Barn Owl page to learn more about Kentucky’s Barn Owls at:  http://fw.ky.gov/navigation.aspx?cid=899&navpath=C741C753C755
Listen to Barn Owls:
(Sound files courtesy of Todd Hendricks and George Weems)
Shrieks
Hisses
Shorter Shrieks
Twitter Calls

Short-eared Owl  (Asio flammeus)
Status:  Uncommon / Rare
*Kentucky Species of Greatest Conservation Need *
Seasonal Occurrence:  Usually observed in winter, observed very rarely during summer in some locations.
Distribution:  Winter- Statewide, though more rare in eastern Kentucky.         
Summer- Nesting confirmed in west-central Kentucky in Ohio and Muhlenberg Counties in the late 1980’s. 
Preferred Habitat(s):  Open areas: grassland, pasture, hayfield, old field, reclaimed strip-mine land, etc.
Nesting Habits:  This species does not regularly nest in Kentucky.  However, documented nests in Kentucky were found on the ground in grassy areas.
Note:  In winter, Short-eared Owls will often form communal roosts (congregations of several owls which sleep in the same vicinity).

Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus)
Status:  Uncommon / Rare
Seasonal Occurrence:  Usually observed in the fall and spring, but also (sometimes) during the winter
Distribution:  Likely occurs statewide 
Preferred Habitat(s):  Forested areas, wooded edges, semi-forested areas and semi-open farmland
Nesting Habits:  This species does not nest in Kentucky.  It nests in Canada and the Northern US.  It migrates through and may occasionally winter in Kentucky. 
 

Northern Saw-whet Owl
Photo by: Kate Heyden