My family and I love being surrounded by nature. It’s great to see and hear all of the different types of owls in Washington state and other birds like Steller’s Jay and Bald Eagles. We placed quite a few bird feeders on our property and watching and taking pictures of birds is among our favorite family activities in Washington state. All you need is a birds of WA field guide and the Washington Ornithological Society checklist of birds, which is reliable and updated.
Owls of Washington state: How many species are there?
The Washington Bird Records Committee recognizes 15 different types of owls in Washington state as per the adequate documentation of photographs, sound recordings, and written reports available. Let’s find out together what are the names of the species you can spot in WA, what they look and sound like, and more fun facts about the Owls of Washington state!
1. Barn Owl
Barn owls are medium-sized raptors with a characteristic white heart-shaped face and white chest with small brown spots. These owls of Washington state are often used as pest control to naturally get rid of rodents. Barn owls have some of the best hearing among birds of prey, weigh about a pound, and are silent in flight.
What do Barn Owls of Washington state look and sound like?
You can hear different Barn Owl calls by clicking here, while below you can play a cute video of an incredibly cute pair of Barn owls and their owlets!
2. Western Screech Owl
With a squatty look and yellow eyes, Western Screech owls of Washington state can have gray or brown feathers. Their diet includes everything from worms and crayfish to rats and bats. They are vocal for much of the year and are long 7 – 10 inches. Western Screech and Great Horned are two types of owls in Washington state often mistaken for each other due to their similar ear tufts.
What do Western Screech-Owls of Washington state look and sound like?
You can hear different Western Screech Owl calls, songs, and duets by clicking here, while below you can play a video of a rescued Western Screech Owl realized by the Oregon Zoo!
3. Great Horned Owl
If you were to ask “What is the most common owl in Washington state?” the answer would probably be the Great Horned Owl as is the species most often seen and heard across the state. Because of his large ear tufts, which give this owl a somewhat cat-like appearance, is also known as Cat Owl. Can take down birds and mammals even larger than itself, including other owls.
What do Great Horned Owls of Washington state look and sound like?
You can hear different Great Horned Owl calls, songs, and duets by clicking here, while below you can play a video about Great Horned owls and why they are the alpha predator of the forest.
4. Snowy Owl
Heaviest North American owls due to their thick heavy feathers, this species of owl in Washington is extremely diurnal and will hunt at all hours. Male snowy owls have white feathers while females are white with darker barring throughout. Are very agile owls and able to catch small birds on the fly. They sit still in the same spot for hours and nest in remote areas.
What do Snowy Owls of Washington state look and sound like?
You can hear different Snowy Owl calls and songs by clicking here, while below you can play a wildlife documentary dedicated to Snowy owls.
5. Northern Pygmy-Owl
There are two subspecies of Northern Pygmy owls in Washington, one on each side of the Cascades. Very small and long-tailed owl with a reddish-brown plumage spotted with white. One of the types of owls in Washington state who hunt during the day, giving you a good chance of finding them if you know where to look for them. They nest in natural tree cavities or old woodpecker holes.
What do Northern Pygmy Owls of Washington state look and sound like?
You can hear different Northern Pygmy-Owl calls and songs by clicking here, while below you can play a video made by two wildlife photographers giving tips on where to find Northern Pygmy owls.
6. Burrowing Owl
These small brown types of owls found in Washington state have long legs, short tails, and no ear tufts. Burrowing Owls are active both day and night, nest in burrows and the sexes are the same size. They hunt mainly insects and rodents and often stow extra food to ensure an adequate supply during incubation and brooding. To observe them better, a spotting scope is recommended as they are very good in the art of camouflage and their size is small compared to the areas where they live.
What do Burrowing Owls of Washington state look and sound like?
You can hear different Burrowing Owl calls and songs by clicking here, while below you can play a documentary made by Planet Doc with more interesting facts about Burrowing Owls.
7. Spotted Owl
These types of owls in Washington state are medium-sized owls with brown eyes, a barred tail, and no ear tufts. Both male and female plumage is dark brown with white spots on the head and breast. Spotted owls are often confused with another species of owls in Washington state, the Barred owls. They mainly hunt at night and rarely during the day. Their favorite foods are flying squirrels and wood rats.
What do Spotted Owls of Washington state look and sound like?
You can hear different Spotted Owl calls, duets, and songs by clicking here, while below you can play a video by National Geographic with more interesting facts about Spotted Owls.
8. Barred Owls
Among the most common owls of Washington state, there are certainly barred owls. They can be found year-round in most lowland and montane forests and are believed to be most common in the western part of the state and on either side of the Cascades. With brown eyes and brown-and-white-striped plumage, Barred Owls are originally birds of the east and moved to the Pacific Northwest during the twentieth century.
What do Barred Owls of Washington state look and sound like?
You can hear different Barred Owl calls, duets, and songs by clicking here, while below you can play a video by the White Memorial Conservation Center with more cool facts about Barred Owls.
9. Great Gray Owl
Common in many other US states and Canada, Great Gray are large and gray owls with yellow eyes, no ear tufts, and fluffy and thick plumage. Despite their big size, Great Gray Owls are not easy to find in WA. They are tall and have a lot of feathers but aren’t the heaviest owls in Washington state. Are active mostly at night, dusk, and dawn but isn’t usual for them to hunt during the day too, especially during the winter season.
What do Great Gray Owls of Washington state look and sound like?
You can hear different Great Gray Owl calls and songs by clicking here, while below you can play a video by National Geographic with more cool facts about Great Gray Owls.
10. Long-eared Owl
Brownish-gray, medium-sized owls with long ear tufts and an orange long and narrow facial disk. According to the Seattle Audubon Society, Long-eared is one of the rare and uncommon types of owls in Washington state. They swallow their prey whole, then regurgitate the indigestible parts in pellets: biologists often analyze these to learn about owl diets. During the winter Long-eared owls often roost in large numbers, and this can make them easier to find.
What do Long-eared Owls of Washington state look and sound like?
You can hear different Long-eared Owl calls and songs by clicking here, while below you can play a short video made by Montana FWP about Long-eared Owls.
11. Short-eared Owl
These types of owls in Washington state are uncommon in eastern WA and very local in western WA. They are medium-sized owls and present a mottled brown and buff plumage, a light facial disk, and dark patches at the eyes. What makes these owls of Washington state easier to see than most others is that they are active during the day.
What do Short-eared Owls of Washington state look and sound like?
You can hear different Short-eared Owl calls and songs by clicking here, while below you can play a short video by McHenry County Wildlife Resource Center about Short-eared Owls.
12. Boreal Owl
The bright-eyed, square-faced owl that from late winter through spring hollow hooting sounds across the forests to call for a mate. The female is sometimes two times heavier than the male. His appearance presents a brown plumage with white spots, a short tail, and no ear tufts. These types of owls in Washington state are uncommon and rare.
What do Boreal Owls of Washington state look and sound like?
You can hear different Boreal Owl calls and songs by clicking here, while below you can play a video by Heather King about Boreal Owls.
13. Northern Saw-whet Owl
Small owls with yellow eyes and oversized heads. Is one of the common types of owls in Washington state in the Blue Mountains ecoregion, while remains uncommon and rare in the others. They have no ear tufts, their plumage is chestnut-brown, and are night hunters like most owls of WA state. Their favorite food is deer mice.
What do Northern Saw-whet Owls of Washington state look and sound like?
You can hear different Northern Saw-whet Owl calls and songs by clicking here, while below you can play a video by Long Point Bird Observatory about Northern Saw-whet Owls.
14. Flammulated Owl
Uncommon and rare to see owls of Washington, are pretty small and have short ear tufts. Of all the types of owls in Washington state, they are the only small forest owls with dark eyes. Flammulated Owls are most active just after dark and just before dawn. Their preferred food is large insects like beetles and moths. They are highly migratory, leaving Washington to winter south.
What do Flammulated Owls of Washington state look and sound like?
You can hear different Flammulated Owl calls and songs by clicking here, while below you can play a video by Colorado College about Flammulated Owls.
15. Northern Hawk Owl
These beautiful birds have nested in British Columbia and Idaho but are casual winter visitors in Washington state, the reason why they are part of the WA birds checklist. They behave like hawks but look like an owl. They have oval bodies and yellow eyes that can detect prey by sight up to half a mile away.
What do Northern Hawk Owls of Washington state look and sound like?
You can hear different Northern Hawk Owl calls and songs by clicking here, while below you can play a video documentary by Thee Owl Queen about Northern Hawk Owls.
Ready to cross all the types of Owls in Washington state off your list?
You have all the information and sources you need to venture out and enjoy all the different Owls of Washington state in person. To help you identify and keep track of the types of Owls in Washington state you’ll see, remember to grab a field guide and a state bird checklist.
Save this article in your bookmarks, and visit WOS.org, AllAboutBirds.org, Birdweb.org, and all the other reliable sources linked in this article for more information and updates about all the types of owls in Washington state. If you have any suggestions related to this article or any other content of this blog please send me a message using this contact form.
