Bird of the Day: Barred Owl

There are a number of reasons why I decided to take on this project. My first reason has to do with my interest in birds. This began shortly after moving to Victoria ten and a half years ago. With our house backing onto a wooded area, the chirping of birds is a familiar sound all year long. I often glance out the window to see birds of all forms in the yard throughout the day. Frequently I will pull out the Birds of Victoria or Birds of North America reference guides we have on hand. Unfortunately, the drawings in the first aren’t overly helpful for identification and the number of entries in the second is overwhelming. My second reason has to do with a photography course I took a number of years ago. Since that time I have been trying to think of a practical reason to buy a new camera. Taking pictures of birds requires a powerful zoom lens which my previous point-and-shoot camera could not accommodate. Perfect! My final reason was my desire to take on a new project to welcome in 2011. Hence, bird of the day was born.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Barred Owl

Strix varia

Appearance:
Medium-sized owl
Round head with no ear tufts
Dark-bordered facial disc
Large, brown eyes
Yellow, hooked bill
Brown upperparts with white markings
White underparts with brown markings
Horizontal bars on chest
Vertical stripes on belly

Listen to its call.

Today was a monumental day; I finally got an owl for my blog. This bird was snoozing in the forested area next to the Swan Lake parking lot this morning. Although it did open its eyes briefly once or twice, the number of people in the area didn't seem to disturb its day-time sleep. I guess that is something that all noctural animals in the city must learn to adapt to. (According to Grammar Girl, it’s okay to end a sentence with a preposition).

Apparently, the Barred Owl's ability to adapt has resulting in it being the most common owl on Southern Vancouver Island.