Credit: Gay Raab Photography

Owls

Owls are a fascinating group of birds that have inspired (and mystified) cultures around the world for centuries. Most owls are nocturnal, and their extra large eyes help them see in the dark and give them the big-eyed look humans love. Equipped with an opposable digit on their talons, all owls, even the tiny ones, make formidable predators.

New Jersey is home to eight owl species, from the very small Saw-whet Owl to the large Great Horned Owl.

Owl Ear Tufts Migratory Habitat in NJ Status in NJ Nest type
Great Horned Owl Yes No Everywhere Common Stick
Snowy Owl No Yes Open Fields Vulnerablke Scrape
Barred Owl No No Swamps and woods Threatened Stick
Barn Owl No No Farmland Endangered Cavity
Eastern Screech Owl Yes No Woods or the suburbs Common Cavity
Long-eared Owl Yes Yes Dense conifer Forests Uncommon Stick
Short-eared Owl Yes Yes Grasslands Uncommon Scrape
Saw-whet Owl No Yes Conifer forests Uncommon Cavity
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Osprey