Types of Owls in Illinois: Identification Guide
Illinois is home to several owls, including the great horned owl, barred owl, eastern screech-owl, and barn owl, along with long-eared, short-eared, and northern saw-whet owls, plus wintering snowy owls. From common residents to winter visitors, Illinois offers rewarding owling. This guide covers the types of owls in Illinois, how to identify them, and where to see them.
| Owl | Key Feature |
|---|---|
| Great Horned Owl | Large, ear tufts, deep hoots |
| Barred Owl | Dark eyes, “who cooks for you” |
| Eastern Screech-Owl | Small, ear tufts, trilling call |
| Barn Owl | Pale, heart-shaped face |
| Long-eared Owl | Slim, tall ear tufts |
| Short-eared Owl | Open fields, day-flying |
| Northern Saw-whet Owl | Tiny, tooting call |
| Snowy Owl | White, winter visitor |
How Many Types of Owls Live in Illinois?
Illinois hosts a good variety of owls, with several resident species and additional owls arriving in winter. The great horned owl is the largest and most widespread, a powerful predator found statewide in woods, farmland, and parks, while the barred owl is common in mature and bottomland forests, known for its distinctive hooting. The eastern screech-owl is a small, common owl of woodlands and towns, and the barn owl, though less common and declining, hunts over open fields and grasslands. In winter, Illinois hosts long-eared and short-eared owls, the short-eared hunting over open country at dusk, and the tiny northern saw-whet owl passes through and winters in small numbers. Snowy owls arrive from the Arctic in some winters, especially in the northern part of the state and along Lake Michigan. Understanding Illinois owls begins with these species, part of the wider group covered in our guide to types of owls.
Common Illinois Owls and How to Identify Them
Several owls are especially worth knowing in Illinois. The great horned owl is a large owl with prominent ear tufts, a barred body, and a white throat, giving deep, resonant hoots. The barred owl is a stocky, round-headed owl with dark eyes, brown barring, and a famous call that sounds like “who cooks for you,” favoring wet woods. The eastern screech-owl is small with ear tufts, camouflaged in gray or reddish tones, giving a descending whinny and a trill. The barn owl is pale and ghostly, with a white, heart-shaped face and golden-buff upperparts, hunting silently over open ground. The short-eared owl is a medium owl of open fields, often seen flying low over grasslands at dusk on moth-like wings, while the long-eared owl is a slim, secretive owl with tall ear tufts that roosts in dense conifers. Each owl is a thrilling find, as explored in our guide to types of owls in Michigan.
Where to See Owls in Illinois
Owls can be found across Illinois in a range of habitats. Mature forests, bottomland woods along rivers, and wooded parks are excellent for barred owls, whose calls carry through the trees at night, and for great horned owls, which also use woodlots, farmland edges, and even city parks. Eastern screech-owls live in woodlands, parks, and suburban yards with mature trees, and they readily use nest boxes. Barn owls hunt over open fields, grasslands, and farmland, nesting in barns, silos, and boxes, though they are uncommon. Open grasslands, prairies, reclaimed mine lands, and large agricultural fields are the place to find short-eared owls hunting at dusk in winter, and dense conifer groves can hide roosting long-eared owls. In the northern part of the state and along Lake Michigan, snowy owls appear in some winters. Because different owls favor different habitats and seasons, Illinois offers rewarding owling year-round, as detailed in our guide to types of hawks in Illinois.
Owl Nesting and Habits in Illinois
Illinois owls have fascinating nesting habits worth understanding. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the great horned owl is one of the earliest nesting birds in North America, often laying eggs in late winter, sometimes in January or February when snow is still on the ground. It does not build its own nest but takes over old stick nests built by hawks, crows, or herons, or uses broken snags and tree cavities. The barred owl nests in natural tree cavities in the bottomland forests it favors, and the eastern screech-owl is a cavity nester that readily uses nest boxes in wooded yards. Short-eared owls are unusual among owls in nesting on the ground in open grasslands, while long-eared owls use old crow or hawk nests in dense trees. By putting up nest boxes and preserving mature trees, snags, and grasslands, people can help owls find places to raise their young. Understanding these habits deepens appreciation for Illinois owls, as explored in our guide to types of owls in Michigan.
How to Find Owls in Illinois
Finding owls in Illinois takes patience but the state offers good opportunities year-round. Listening is often the best method, since owls are most vocal at dusk and during the night, especially in late winter and early spring when great horned and barred owls are calling to establish territories, so a quiet evening in the right habitat can reveal owls by ear. Learning the calls, from the great horned owl’s deep hoots to the barred owl’s “who cooks for you” and the screech-owl’s whinny and trill, helps you know what you are hearing. During the day, watch for owls roosting in dense evergreens, in tree cavities, or against trunks, and look for clues like whitewash and pellets beneath a favored roost. In winter, scan grasslands and reclaimed mine lands at dusk for short-eared owls and check open country in the north for snowy owls. With patience and attention to sound, Illinois rewards the owl seeker, as explored in our guide to types of hawks in Illinois.
Owls Through the Seasons in Illinois
Illinois owls offer different rewards across the year, and knowing their rhythms helps you enjoy them. Late winter and early spring are prime, since great horned owls nest early and both they and barred owls call frequently to defend territories, making them easier to detect by ear on cold, still evenings. Spring and summer bring nesting, with screech-owls raising young in cavities and boxes and the occasional appearance of young owls learning to hunt. Fall sees movement, as saw-whet owls and others pass through on migration, sometimes turning up in unexpected places. Winter is the season of open-country owling, when short-eared owls hunt over grasslands and reclaimed mine lands at dusk, long-eared owls gather in dense conifer roosts, and in some years snowy owls arrive from the Arctic in the north and along Lake Michigan. By watching through the seasons and listening in the right habitats, Illinois birders can enjoy a changing cast of owls all year.
Appreciating Illinois Owls
Illinois owls are a rewarding group to appreciate, both for their variety and for the atmosphere they bring to the state’s wild places. From the deep hooting of the great horned owl and the swamp-loving barred owl to the tiny saw-whet and the winter arrival of snowy owls, the state offers year-round owling with real highlights. Learning the calls, watching for roosting owls by day, and seeking short-eared owls over winter grasslands all deepen the experience. Because owls are mysterious and mostly nocturnal, finding one feels like a special reward. Taking the time to appreciate Illinois’s owls connects you to the quiet, wild side of the state’s forests, prairies, and farmland.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many types of owls are in Illinois?
Illinois hosts several owls, including the great horned, barred, eastern screech, and barn owls, plus long-eared, short-eared, and northern saw-whet owls and wintering snowy owls.
What is the most common owl in Illinois?
The great horned owl and the barred owl are among the most common and widespread owls in Illinois, both found across the state in woods, bottomlands, and wooded edges.
What owl says “who cooks for you” in Illinois?
The barred owl gives the famous call that sounds like “who cooks for you, who cooks for you all.” It is common in Illinois’s mature and bottomland forests.
Can you see snowy owls in Illinois?
Yes, snowy owls visit Illinois in some winters, especially in the northern part of the state and along Lake Michigan, where these Arctic owls perch in open country.
What is the smallest owl in Illinois?
The northern saw-whet owl is the smallest owl in Illinois, a tiny, rounded owl that passes through and winters in small numbers, known for its repetitive tooting call.
Where do short-eared owls live in Illinois?
Short-eared owls hunt over open grasslands, prairies, reclaimed mine lands, and large fields in Illinois, often seen flying low at dusk, mainly in winter.
Where can you see owls in Illinois?
Look in mature and bottomland woods for barred and great horned owls, wooded yards for screech-owls, open fields for barn and short-eared owls, and the north for winter snowy owls.
