On the Barred Owl Cam, all three owlets popped their heads out to the nest box on May 1 to observe the surrounding woodlands.

The owlets at this site typically leave the nest box between 32 and 34 days old. Midnight and Star—the eldest two owlets—are now 31 days into the nestling period and should be getting ready to take their first step onto the branches in front of the nest box in the next 24–72 hours!

The youngest owlet (named Moon) is 29 days old and still likely has a few more days before it explores the woodlands!

Stay tuned for another amazing year watching the Wild Birds Unlimited Barred Owls. Watch live at http://allaboutbirds.org/barredowls for information, highlights, and a link to the outside view.

In 2023, the female laid the first egg on March 11, and it was a full 5 days later that she laid the second egg, on March 16. She had left the first egg unincubated for most of the first couple days at nearfreezing temperatures, so we're unsure whether it will still hatch. Since settling into fulltime incubation around the 13th/14th, she has consistently been on the egg. This laying behavior is quite unusual compared to the superconsistent laying pattern we've seen at this site over the last decade, suggesting that this may be a new or inexperienced female or pair. On April 20, after incubating for around 34 days, the female abandoned the incubation effort and their breeding efforts are over for 2023.

Stay tuned and learn what happens alongside us and the rest of the cam community!

Interested in learning more about owls? Sign up for our selfpaced, online course "The Wonderful World of Owls" from the Cornell Lab's Bird Academy: https://hubs.la/Q012pdgP0

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Jim Carpenter, President and CEO of Wild Birds Unlimited, has hosted a cameraequipped owl box in his wooded backyard since 1999. Set more than 30 feet high against the trunk of a pignut hickory tree, this Barred Owl box was first occupied in 2006. Since then, the box has hosted several nests, including successful attempts since 2013.

The camera system was updated in 2021 with a 1080p Axis P3375LVE security camera and connected to Jim’s house via 200 feet of ethernet cable. To keep predators like raccoons from investigating the nest, aluminum flashing was wrapped around the tree. An infrared illuminator in the box means you can keep track of the owls’ comings and goings throughout the night (don’t worry—the light is invisible to the owls).

Since the birds aren’t banded, we can’t tell whether this is the same pair as in past years. Although male and female Barred Owls look alike in their plumage, females can be up to a third bigger than males. You can also tell the difference between them by watching their behavior; only the female incubates the eggs and chicks, but the male is responsible for the bulk of the feeding, ferrying prey items to the incubating female, and sharing them with her inside and outside of the box.


Learn more about Barred Owls in our AllAboutBirds Species Guide at https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/b....

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