Barred Owls

Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all? are the
eternal questions asked by Barred Owls in the
hunting hours between twilight and dawn.
During the height of Barred Owl courtship
in March and April, these owls may add
to their strange nocturnal queries an
escalating duet of laughs, hoots
and gargling howls that reinforce
the pair bond and can be heard
night or day. Barred Owls
nest in tree hollows or aban-
doned hawk or crow nests.
The Barred Owl is a rela-
tively recent inhabitant of
the Vancouver area; it was
first observed in Surrey in
1966. Today, it is relatively
common.

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