List of 11 Owls Found in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan
Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, known as the Upper Midwest states and recognized for their diverse habitats, including lakes, forests, and prairies. All three states border the Great Lakes, plus have numerous smaller lakes and rivers. In addition, we have a variety of forest types including northern hardwoods, mixed forests, and coniferous forests.
This makes for fabulous owl habitat!
In our region we have 11 owls although they do not all live in the upper Midwest year round. Owls are listed in alphabetical order for your convenience.
🦉 1. Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
Barn owls are easy to distinguish with their wide dished face and creamy-colored chest and underwings. They have adapted to using many manmade structures - thus the name barn owl.
Barn owls are a smaller owl species and weigh an average of one and a half pounds. They are about 1 foot tall and have a wingspan of around 3 feet.
They live in open habitats across the upper Midwest including farmland, grasslands, deserts, marshes, suburban parks, and cities. Barn owls swallow their prey whole and then regurgitate the indigestible parts (bones, fur, teeth) in the form of pellets.
You can order an owl pellet dissection kit - they are loads of fun, budget friendly, and a great activity
The barn owl has an extremely good sense of hearing. It can catch mice in complete darkness in the lab. Their dished face allows the sound waves to concentrate and enter the ears which are directly behind the eyes.
Barn owls are usually monogamous, sticking with one partner for a lifetime. If one of the pair dies they will seek another widow to pair bond with. In the US nesting takes place in early spring between March and June. Depending on the availability of prey barn owls will often have two broods a year.
The female lays an average of 5 eggs and sets on them for a month. Chicks are born with a fluffy white down. They grow very quickly. By two weeks they are half their adult weight!
By nine weeks they are fully fledged and leaving the nest for short flights. Consider putting up a barn owl nesting box. This is an easy DIY project or you can purchase one.
Fun Facts:
Has one of the most widespread distributions of any bird species.
Barn owls are valuable in pest control
Nicknamed ‘The ghost of the night’.
The female barn owl uses her regurgitated pellets to line the nest
🦉 2. Barred Owl (Strix varia)
Description: A medium to large owl with brown and white striped plumage, dark eyes, and a rounded head without ear tufts. Barred owls are medium-to-large-sized owls, measuring about 16-25 inches tall, with a wingspan of 38-49 inches. Adults typically weigh between 1 to 2.5 pounds, with females being noticeably larger than males.
They make a variety of sounds including screams, hoots, barks, and even laughter-like calls. Barred owls are very territorial and aggressive to intruders on their territory, especially during nesting season. They may chase away intruders by aggressively hooting or attacking, using their talons.
They are opportunistic predators, primarily eating small mammals, but also consuming fish, snakes, crawfish, and frogs. Like the barn owl, as part of the owl's digestive process, the body forms a waste pellet. These pellets contain bones and fur. Look for them under trees.
Barred Owls mate for life, and they usually have a single clutch of two or three white eggs each year. During the incubation period, which lasts between 28 and 33 days, the female sits on the eggs while the male hunts for food.
Fun Facts:
Famous for its call that sounds like "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?"
Often active during the day, especially on overcast days.
Some barred owls have pink belly feathers, possibly due to a diet rich in crayfish.
Barred Owls prefer nesting in tree hollows
The Boreal owl is not a full time resident and breeds in boreal forests and mountains in Canada. However, they can be found scattered in spruce-fir forests of northeast Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, and Michigan's eastern Upper Peninsula in the winter.
🦉 3. Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus)
Description: A small owl with a large, square head, yellow eyes, and brown and white spotted plumage. It has a compact, rounded body about 9 to 11 inches long with a wingspan of approximately 21 to 24 inches.
The Boreal Owl is a small, elusive owl found primarily in dense, northern coniferous forests. Its plumage is brown above with numerous white spots, and whitish below with heavy brown streaking. The owl's distinctive square-shaped head, prominent facial disks outlined in black, and large yellow eyes give it a very expressive appearance.
Boreal Owls are considered rare visitors in the upper Midwest, typically found in the northernmost forests during the winter months or during periodic movements ("irruptions") related to prey availability.
Boreal Owls are generally uncommon throughout their range and can be sensitive indicators of environmental health, particularly due to their reliance on mature forests and cavity availability for nesting. Habitat loss, logging practices, and climate change could impact their distribution and population numbers.
Fun Facts:
Primarily nocturnal and elusive, making sightings rare.
Prefers dense coniferous forests in northern regions.
Known for its haunting, whistled call during the breeding season.
🦉 4. Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio)
Description: A small owl with either gray or reddish-brown plumage, featuring ear tufts and yellow eyes. Only 6 inches tall with a wingspan about 20 inches.
They like older hollowed-out trees and are often found in urban areas. One good reason not to cut down trees just because they don't look perfect.
From a distance (binoculars help) look for holes in trees that may be giving an owl a well-deserved sleep.
Eastern Screech Owls do not typically migrate; they are territorial birds that remain in the same general area year-round.
One fascinating aspect of this species is its color variations, known as "morphs." The two primary morphs are gray and red. Both morphs provide excellent camouflage, allowing these owls to become virtually invisible in their natural habitat.
Nocturnal hunters, they wait on perches to swoop down on unsuspecting prey. They may also catch insects in flight. These owls are opportunistic carnivores. If they think they can eat it, they will try.
Fun Facts:
Despite its name, its call is a soft, trilling sound rather than a screech. They “bark” when alarmed.
Commonly found in urban and suburban areas, nesting in tree cavities.
They can easily eat more than 1,000 mice in one year
Make your own or purchase one ready to mount.
🦉 5. Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa)
Description: One of the largest owls by length, with a large, round head, yellow eyes, and a distinctive white "bow tie" under the chin. Their size is deceptive since they are mostly fluff. Their fluffy feathers, large head, and long tail hide a relatively small body.
They are well adapted to live in their cold northern climates where they hunt for rodents under the snow. The great grey owl can hear a vole traveling two feet below the top of the snow.
Great grey owls do not build a nest. Instead, they use the tops of toppled or old trees, ledges, or old raptor nests. They seldom add anything to the nests.
Typically found in the far northern forests of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin
Fun Facts:
Their face acts like a satellite receiver and gives them that great hearing.
Has exceptional hearing, allowing it to detect prey beneath deep snow.
Nicknamed The Phantom of the North. The ghost owl.
🦉 6. Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
A large, powerful owl with prominent ear tufts ("horns"), yellow eyes, and a deep hooting voice.
Its plumage is mottled gray-brown with a white throat patch. Sometimes referred to as the tiger owl because of their striped feather pattern.
The great horned owl gets its name from its large ear tufts that funnel sound waves into the ears. Giving them exceptional hearing. Large cylindrical eyes help them see longer distances. Owls don't have eyeballs per se and can't move their eyes. They must move their head to see in another direction.
Similar to eagles great horned owls prefer more of an open nest such as a platform or area where tree trunks make a cavity. They have adapted to manmade structures as well and can be found nesting in large barns.
Great horned owls start looking for nest sites as early as January so fall is a great time to build a nest funnel or platform. Eggs are laid in February and March. Babies cant fly till 10 weeks and the parents take care of them for several months. Both parents help care for the young.
Fun Facts:
Large talons can easily grab prey and can exert 28 pounds of pressure.
Can take down prey larger than itself, including skunks and other raptors.
Begins nesting as early as January in Wisconsin, enduring harsh winter conditions.
🦉 7. Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)
Description: A medium-sized owl with long ear tufts set close together, mottled brown and buff plumage, and orange facial disks.
They are known for their large ear tufts, which are not actually ears but are used for camouflage and communication.
Found in dense forests and forest edges they often nest in abandoned crow, raven, or hawk nests. They don't build their own nests.
Watch for them early in breeding season, in late February and March, when the male puts on a show. He will perform an aerial display, flying in zigzags around nesting area with deep wingbeats and glides, occasionally clapping wings together loudly below body. This attracts the female’s attention.
Nest site is usually in tree, 4-30' above ground, usually at about mid-level in tree.
They are more social than most owls and often nest near each other. They can live a long time - over 30 years.
Wanting to spot an owl? Be stealth! When you spot an owl sit down and be very quiet. This makes you look like less of a threat and doesn't cause stress.
Fun Facts:
Roosts communally in winter, sometimes in groups of a dozen or more.
Uses old nests of other birds, like crows or hawks, for breeding.
Highly secretive and well-camouflaged which makes them hard to spot.
The long-eared owl is thin for an owl. When it perches on a branch it stretches up tall so it resembles a tree branch. This may help protect it from predators.
🦉 8. Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula)
Description: A medium-sized owl with a long tail, yellow eyes, and a facial disk bordered by black. Resembles a hawk in appearance and behavior.
The Northern Hawk Owl behaves like a hawk but looks like an owl. They live in northern boreal forests spreading across Canada and into Alaska. While not a common owl in our northern states, Northern Hawk Owls are occasionally spotted.
In the continental United States, its southern limit occurs in northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, and northern Michigan, and occasionally in the Rocky Mountains.
Like the snowy owl they occasionally fly south in the winter from Canada in search of food. Unlike many owls, Northern Hawk Owls are active during the day, making them easier to observe.
According to the National Park Service, Northern hawk owls are one of the least studied birds in North America, making it difficult to fully understand their ecology and conservation needs.
Fun Facts:
Diurnal, hunting during the day, unlike most owls.
Perches atop trees to survey for prey, then swoops down like a hawk.
Occasionally seen in northern Wisconsin during winter months.
🦉 9. Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus)
Description: One of the smallest owls native to North America, with a round head, no ear tufts, and bright yellow eyes. They are the size of an American robin and have a distinct white, Y-shaped coloration between their eyes.
They live year round in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin in coniferous or deciduous woods.
Northern saw-whet owls have porphyrin pigments in their flight feathers. When these feathers are under a UV light, they show a fluoresce a neon pink color.
Three juveniles. Photo credit Kathy & Sam from Beaverton OR.
Northern saw-whet owls lay four or six eggs in tree cavities or woodpecker holes. Males seek out a nesting site and then attract a female by singing. He does the hunting while the female watches and sits on the eggs. Females may have more than one clutch of eggs each breeding season with different males. Once the first group fledge and leave the nest, she will leave the male to care for them and go find another male to reproduce with. This type of mating is referred to as sequential polyandry.
Fun Facts:
Named for its call, a tootling whistle, which resembles the sound of a saw being sharpened.
Primarily feeds on small mammals like mice and voles.
Often migrates at night and can be caught in mist nets during banding studies.
Photo credit: Sumeet Moghe
🦉 10. Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)
Description: A medium-sized owl with short ear tufts (often not visible), yellow eyes, and a streaked brown and buff body.
Short-eared Owls possess distinctive, buoyant flight patterns resembling that of moths or bats, characterized by slow, deep wingbeats interspersed with brief glides. They prefer open habitats such as grasslands, prairies, marshes, and agricultural fields where they have unobstructed views and ample hunting grounds. This habitat preference allows them to spot prey—primarily small mammals like voles, mice, and occasionally birds.
Short-eared Owls are ground-nesters. Breeding season typically begins in early spring, around late March to May in Wisconsin. Females construct simple nests directly on the ground, usually concealed within tall grasses, sedges, or vegetation, making the nests very difficult to locate. The nest itself is a shallow scrape lined sparingly with grasses and feathers.
The female is solely responsible for incubation, which lasts around 24–29 days. During this period, the male's primary role is hunting and providing food to the female. The female broods and protects the young, feeding them food brought by the male. Initially, chicks cannot thermoregulate effectively, so the mother must frequently brood them to keep them warm.
Young owls typically leave the nest at around 12–18 days old, long before they can fly proficiently. They scatter into surrounding vegetation, hiding and waiting for parents to bring food. True flight skills develop by about 24–27 days. Juveniles continue receiving parental care and supplementary feeding for several more weeks post-fledging, gradually gaining independence as they master hunting and survival skills.
The Short-eared Owl is considered a species of conservation concern in Minnesota and Wisconsin, primarily due to habitat loss, fragmentation of grassland habitats, and changes in agricultural practices. Conserving large, contiguous tracts of grasslands and marshes is critical to their continued survival and breeding success.
Fun Facts:
Outside the breeding season, Short-eared Owls occasionally roost communally in groups, especially during winter months, on the ground in dense grass or shrubbery for warmth and protection.
Males engage in spectacular aerial courtship displays, often called "sky dances,"
Short-eared Owls follow prey availability, and may travel long distances, even migrating hundreds of miles, resulting in fluctuating populations year-to-year.
🦉 11. Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus)
Description: A large, white owl with varying amounts of black or brown markings; males tend to be whiter than females.
These large owls are mostly found in the Arctic tundra. Small numbers fly south in the winter into the Northern US. When these birds fly south out of their normal range it is called an irruption. I was lucky enough to see one two years ago in Madison.
The snowy owl does not migrate on a regular basis. Its believed that irruption happens when a larger amount of chicks hatch and they seek out new territory.
They have excellent eyesight and hearing to locate prey. They eat a wide variety of prey including lemmings, voles, mice, shrews as well as ducks and other water birds. They will also eat rabbits, weasels, and fish.
The snowy owl flies low to the ground and often roosts on fence posts, dunes, or even round hay bales.
Snowy owls like open spaces such as lakes, beaches, grasslands, and agricultural fields, and have often been spotted at northern airports.
Fun Facts:
Breeds in the Arctic tundra and migrates south in winter; some years see large numbers ("irruptions") in the northern Midwest states.
Known for their striking appearance and association with the "Harry Potter" series.
Author, Ame Vanorio, is the founder of Fox Run EEC and the author of books on wildlife rehabilitation, organic gardening and children’s books on wildlife.
Birds of prey such as eagles, hawks, and owls are in grave danger because of dangers in their environment. These majestic birds deserve our best conservation efforts. They are native North American species that have suffered due to development, chemical use, and sadly alternative energy.