Maine is an excellent place to see owls. Barred Owls and Great Horned Owls call and hunt in every corner of the state. The woods of Maine are also an excellent place to hear the whistled calls of Northern Saw-whet Owls!
But which owl species can you actually see?
Is Maine Known For Its Owls?
To be fair, Maine is not that well-known for its diverse owl populations – according to eBird data, there are only six true residents. Others might come by accidentally and leave soon after. But the question remains, which owls can you see in Maine?
Barred Owl
Photograph © Greg Lavaty.
- Range: A permanent resident in most forested areas in Canada, parts of some Pacific Northwestern states, and most of the eastern USA.
- Length: 21 inches
- Wingspan: 42 inches
- Call: Makes loud hooting and caterwalling sounds, “Who cooks for you?! Who cooks for youaaaal!”
The Barred Owl is a medium to large owl with a round head and a narrow black border on its pale gray face. It has dark brown upperparts with white markings, and dark brown streaks on its belly.
This species also has a yellowish beak and dark eyes. Both sexes look the same except that females are a bit larger than males.
Barred owls are numerous in Maine and live here throughout the year.
Key Identifications:
- Big owl with a round head that has white marks on dark brown upperparts, and dark brown streaks on pale underparts.
- Perches and swoops through wooded areas at night but can also be active in the day.
- Nests in tree cavities and in abandoned nests of crows and hawks.
- Catches a wide variety of small animals.
Great Horned Owl
- Range: Permanent resident in much of Alaska, Canada, and the USA.
- Length: 22 inches
- Wingspan: 44 inches
- Call: Makes a low, gruff, “hooo, hoo hoo hoo hoooo”.
The Great Horned Owl is a big, bulky owl with big ear tufts and a black beak. It is mottled gray and brown, has a rufous or gray face, and fine black barring on its underparts. This owl also has a white throat and some dark marks on its breast.
Males and female Great Horned Owls look the same but females are larger. They also have a medium-length tail with dark bands, and long, broad wings.
They live in every possible habitat and are easy to spot thanks to their size.
Key Identifications:
- Big, bulky brown or gray owl with ear tufts and fine barring on its underparts.
- Nests in old stick nests of other large birds, on ledges, and in other situations.
- Watches from a perch or glides over open habitats at night, to catch mammals and some birds on the ground.
Northern Saw-whet-Owl
- Range: Lives in coniferous and mixed hardwood forests of Alaska, a large area of Canada, and parts of the northern and western USA.
- Length: 8 inches
- Wingspan: 17 inches
- Call: Makes a repeated tooting whistle call, over and over, “tu, tu, tu, tu, tu, tu, tu, tu, tu”.
The Northern Saw-whet Owl is a small, dark brown owl with a round head and brown streaks on white underparts. It also has some pale streaks on its head, a brown and white face, and some white spotting on its back.
Both sexes look the same but females are a bit larger. This species also has yellow eyes, a dark beak, longish, rounded wings, and a short, broad tail.
This nocturnal owl lives in forested habitats and stays in Maine year-round.
Key Identifications:
- Small, dark brown owl with a round head, broad white eyebrows, and thick dark streaks on pale underparts.
- Occurs in dense coniferous and mixed forest.
- Nests in old woodpecker holes and can use nest boxes.
- Swoops down to catch insects and small animals at night.
Eastern Screech Owl
- Range: Permanent resident in parts of southeastern Canada, and in much of the eastern USA.
- Length: 8.5 inches
- Wingspan: 20 inches
- Call: Makes a rather high-pitched, descending whinny call, and a tremulous, vibrating call on the same pitch, “wududududududududududu”.
The Eastern Screech Owl is a small owl with ear tufts. It can be reddish, brown, or mostly gray, has “V”-shaped pale eyebrows, and some black on the edge of its face. It is also mottled above with some white spotting, and has pale underparts with dark barring and streaks.
Males and females look alike but females are a bit larger. This species also has yellow eyes, a pale yellow-gray beak, and some white bands on its broad tail.
Eastern Screech-Owls flap and glide on long, broad wings.
During the day, this owl hides in holes, or in dense vegetation. Eastern Screech Owls can be seen year-round (in theory).
Key Identifications:
- Small owl with ear tufts and mottled brown or gray plumage that lives east of the Rocky Mountains.
- Lives in a variety of wooded and park-like habitats.
- Nests in tree cavities and nest boxes.
- Swoops down to the ground catch a variety of small animals at night.
Short-eared Owl
- Range: Summer resident in Alaska, Canada, and the western and central USA. Northern birds migrate to the USA, south to California and Texas.
- Length: 15 inches
- Wingspan: 38 inches
- Call: Makes a hoarse, raspy, cat-like call, “rehw”.
The Short-eared Owl is a medium-sized, pale brown owl with dark eye patches on a pale face. They have a dark breast and streaks on pale underparts. This species has long wings with buff wing patches.
Both sexes look similar but females are a bit larger and usually darker and buffier.
This owl is active day and night during winter months.
Key Identifications:
- Medium-sized pale brown and buffy owl with very short ear tufts.
- Dark eye patches on a pale face and long wings with buff patches near the wingtips.
- Nests on the ground in dense vegetation.
- Glides over open fields to catch small animals on the ground.
Snowy Owl
- Range: Summer resident in northern Alaska and northern Canada. It winters in Canada and the northern USA.
- Length: 23 inches
- Wingspan: 52 inches
- Call: Usually quiet but occasionally makes a low, gruff call, “whew…whuh”.
The Snowy Owl is a big, mostly white owl with a round head and yellow eyes. Some males are mostly white but most have some small dark marks. Females and young birds have white faces and varying degrees of black barring.
Females are a bit larger than males and have more black markings than males. Snowy Owls also have long, broad wings and a broad tail.
Snowy Owls are not too rare in Maine. You can only see them during the winter, but Maine is part of their normal wintering range.
Key Identifications:
- Big white owl with a round head, and varying degrees of black or dark gray barring and spots.
- Lives in tundra and winters in wide open habitats.
- Nests on the ground, on elevated spots in Arctic tundra.
- Watches from a perch and glides low to catch small animals on the ground.
Long-eared Owl (vagrant)
- Range: Migrant in southern Canada, resident and winters in much of the USA. Absent from parts of the Pacific Northwest and southeastern states.
- Length: 15 inches
- Wingspan: 36 inches
- Call: Makes a single, one second long “Hooo!” call at regular intervals.
The Long-eared Owl is a medium-sized, slender owl with long ear tufts. It has an orange face, is mottled gray above, and has dark brown streaks and marks on pale underparts. This owl also has long wings with a rufous patch in its primaries.
Male and female Long-eared Owls look similar but females are larger. This owl species also has yellow eyes, and some pale markings between its eyes and around its dark beak.
Long-eared Owls might sometimes make their way to Maine, but if they do, they won’t stay for long.
Key Identifications:
- Medium-sized, slender owl species with long ear tufts, orange on its face, and long wings with an orange-brown patch near the wingtips.
- Occurs in coniferous and mixed forests near meadows, bogs, and other open areas.
- Nests in old crow, magpie, and hawk nests.
- Glides over open habitats near forest at night to catch small animals on the ground.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common owls in Maine?
The most common owls in Maine are the Barred Owls and the Great Horned Owl. According to eBird data, these two species are heard and seen more than any other owl species in the state.
What are the big owls in Maine?
The big owls in Maine are probably Great Horned Owls. These owls are common in Maine and as large as a Red-tailed Hawk. Another big, common owl in Maine is the Barred Owl.
How rare is it to find a Snowy Owl in Maine?
It is not extremely rare to find a Snowy Owl in Maine. Each winter, some Snowy Owls migrate to Maine.
What is the smallest owl in Maine?
The smallest owl in Maine is the Northern Saw-whet Owl. This cute owl is just 8 inches long; a bit smaller than an American Robin!
More in Maine: Most Common Birds | Hawks | Ducks | State Bird