The state of Arizona toward the southwest belt of the USA is a hotspot for owls for living in abundance all year long due to suitable conditions.
A total of 13 species have been located in this US state who prefer certain parts of the locality convenient for mating, breeding and incubating frequently.
The reasons behind this are the types of forests, mountain edges and access to wetlands – all in the same place as these fall under necessities to find nesting spots and sufficient hunts.
Large number of the species that I’ve mentioned in my listing are threatened due to rapid development and removal of forestry at a sizable scale.
While the ones that are adaptive enough to survive new conditions may live on, other owls in Arizona may not be able to maintain their population if necessary steps aren’t taken.
So hold this notion into your thought before we start our investigation through the available species currently inhabiting there!
Contents
Types of Owls in Arizona to Look for!
The 13 species I’ve mentioned previously that are categorized as owls in Arizona show unique characteristics of their own. It’s time for us to identify these patterns so that we can refine our expertise on these ‘mostly nocturnal’ birds of prey!
Great Horned Owl
Source: @mitz_wildlifennature
- Scientific Name: Bubo virginianus
- Size: 43 to 64 cm (17 to 25 in)
- Locality: The Americas
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: Mid-February to March
Great Horned Owl belongs to one of the two generic types of owls, namely ‘true owls’ which are distributed all across the Americas. Due to their feather patterns, ornithologists in the past referred to them as ‘tiger owls’. It’s one of the longest living owls of North America, living up to a record 29 years in the wilderness. As the provincial bird of Alberta, this owl has some symbolic values to the Native American tribes.
Recognition
Most of the Great Horned Owl’s feathers, consisting of brown feathers, interfered with white and black patterns. The two ears are extruded out like large horns, thus the name imposed upon them. Their textures allow them to be camouflaged within tree barks and leaves. White and black wing edges and tail fringes are apparent at full flight.
Habitat
The highly adaptive nature of this species lets them plant nests in almost any sort of terrain in their habitat zones. No matter the type of forest, there’s a good chance of running into these owls during nighttime. A couple of the subspecies are year round residents in Arizona and others distributed across different parts of the continent. Mostly, areas with least human presence are their preferred territory for nesting.
Short-Eared Owl
Source: @women_wildlife_photography
- Scientific Name: Asio flammeus
- Size: 34 to 43 cm (13 to 17 in)
- Locality: All continents except Antarctica and Australia
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: Late April
Of the eared owl categories, the Short-eared Owls have 11 recognized subspecies in all parts of the world. Antarctica and Australia are the two areas where the species is absent from. In parts of Arizona, the numbers are currently in decline despite a high breeding rate in the northern parts of the USA. It’s a separate species from the Long-eared Owls even though they share some uncanny characteristic resemblances.
Recognition
The key aspect for recognizing a Short-Eared Owl is to observe their spiked ears. These ear tufts aren’t always visible, but defensive poses will definitely make them apparent. Most of the body feathers are made up of dark brown, white and a light yellow. The entire abdomen carries lines of brown over the lighter shades. And you can’t miss the yellow eyes and black iris for a precise recognition!
Habitat
This is probably one of the most widely spreaded out birds in the entire world, even if we don’t consider owl’s extents. Arizona is not a breeding state for the species, rather it’s where these birds migrate to during winter. Usually, grasslands and open fields are the zones ideal for their habitation. They pick grounds on prairies or savannahs to create their nests.
Long-Eared Owl
Source: @everlastingphotogrphy
- Scientific Name: Asio otus
- Size: 31 and 40 cm (12 and 16 in)
- Locality: Europe, the Palearctic and North America
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: February to July
The Long-eared Owl sits in between the Short-eared Owl and Great Horned Owl because of the shape of their ears. These resemble the ones of a cat, that’s why many call the species ‘cat owls’ as well. Among other places, Arizona is a common breeding ground for these birds where they remain roosted on branches during daytime. One key trait for the species is that they aren’t highly territorial like other owls.
Recognition
In terms of body feathers, the black and white patterns over brown are quite similar to Great Horned Owls. But the textures are vertical instead of horizontal. Long ears poke their way out of the head, underside is draped in dark brown and the opposite side complies with the feather colors. Without sharp eyes, locating them in nature is quite a challenging task even for the experts!
Habitat
Eurasia and North America are the two most common places to find the species in their natural habitats. Where there are enough prey, there is the presence of Long-Eared Owls. Areas with short vegetation and woods seem most likely to hold nesting zones for the species. However, a pattern of distribution around temperate zones is identified, translating into a low adaptability in all circumstances.
Whiskered Screech Owl
Source: @ninja_birder
- Scientific Name: Megascops trichopsis
- Size: 16 to 20 cm (6.3 to 7.9 in)
- Locality: North and Central America
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: April and May
This species, much like many other owls, have supreme night visions and hearing abilities. Thus, their callings are mostly heard around dusk and it continues overnight like “boo” sounds. It belongs to the smaller gradient of screech owls, the ‘whisker’ adjective is applied due to the bristles on the face. 3 subspecies are found in North and Central America as regular residents.
Recognition
There are two plumage color options for Whiskered Screech Owls, one being brown and the other is a dark gray. The white on the feathers take precedence that makes room for an oval head to sit on top. Ear tufts are present at the slightest degree for this bird and a yellow beak marks the recognition relatively simpler than other owl species.
Habitat
The habitat zones for this bird begins in Arizona in the USA, especially around the Madrean sky islands region. It stretches further south toward countries of Central America. Dense woods, coniferous forests or coffee plantations are the possible localities of breeding and nesting. They are known for choosing higher altitude areas than a lot of owls in the state.
Western Screech Owl
Source: @darrenclarkbirds
- Scientific Name: Megascops kennicottii
- Size: 22 cm (8.7 in)
- Locality: North and Central America
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: February/March to mid-May
Western Screech Owls are a close relative to the Eastern species of the screechers who share traits of agile hunting in their home grounds. These owls are able to live side by side with human beings, thus you can realize the expansion possibility of their habitation zones. It’s admirable that a lot of the people have provided man-made shelters for the species to ensure a safe living, which should be held exemplary by us all.
Recognition
This owl looks nothing shy of a tree bark, blending in perfectly to remain out of sight from the onlookers. Snowy white facial regions are fractured with dark brown lines. Abdomen is a dirty white with a shade of light brown. Scalp and the back show prominence of brown over white and catlike ears are expanded during their hunt as opposed to regular perching.
Habitat
All of the southwestern regions of North to Central America is part of the habitat range for this species, including Arizona. Up north, Canada remains as the one limit while Nicaragua on the south as the other. Cavities in trees dug up by woodpeckers are occupied by Western Screech Owls for nesting and breeding. Mostly temperate forests, deserts, fields and suburban shrubs are among their favorites.
American Barn Owl
Source: @kacau.oliveira
- Scientific Name: Tyto furcata
- Size: 33 and 39 cm (13 and 15 in)
- Locality: North and South America
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: March to June
Barn Owls are probably the most populous of all owls in Arizona. This group is divided into a few sub-groups, out of them the American Barn Owl is the local in the US regions. These birds are quite soothing to look at which can often seem like a mask over their face. These nocturnals can sometimes be seen shifting from one roosting spot to another even under the sunlight.
Recognition
The square-shaped tails is what distinguishes this category of barn owls from the other owl types. Usually coming in at pale colors, it consumes most of the facial and neck region of the body. The face is a heart shape in snowy white tone and the rest of the body is reddish colored accented with brown freckles. Underside of the wings and much of the abdomen follow along the pale dominance.
Habitat
These carnivorous animals are present almost everywhere in the USA and southward, till the end of South America. As most of the owl species live around woodlands, American Barn Owls are keen on inhabiting open grasslands or even farming areas. In tropical regions, they can live as high up to 3,000 meters from the ground. In Arizona, their nests are usually built inside open cavities.
Spotted Owl
Source: @macropicks
- Scientific Name: Strix occidentalis
- Size: 43 cm (17 in)
- Locality: Western North America
- Status: Near Threatened
- Breeding Season: March to August
Spotted Owl is a large species comprising three subspecies who reside around the western parts of North America in abundance. Of these subspecies, the Mexican Spotted Owl is the one native to Arizona, establishing a year round habitat in the southwestern state. There, the Gila Wilderness is likely to hold most of the population reaching up to the borders of Mexico.
Recognition
The name ‘spotted’ does much justice when it comes to recognizing this species. Over dark brown wing feathers as well as the back, you’ll notice tiny spots of whites striking out for our eyes to pick up. Abdomen portion shows an even more striking recurrence of the pattern. Its face is made of a light brown corrupted with yellow, only the patches around the nose remain innocent with snowy white color.
Habitat
Most of their distribution is around the western parts of North America. If you consider Arizonian habitation zones, these mostly consist of the mountainous and canyon areas of the state. Old growth forests and confined canopies sum up the nesting territories for breeding purposes. There, tall trees are the optimal nesting grounds that are also utilized for roosting at idle hours.
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
Source: @casumma
- Scientific Name: Glaucidium brasilianum
- Size: 15 cm (5.9 in)
- Locality: South-central Arizona, southern Texas, Mexico and parts of South America
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: February to May
Pigmy family of the owls are usually small, and from this group, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls have established breeding grounds in parts of Arizona with a few other localities. Their scientific name literally translates from Ancient Greek to English as ‘little owls’ due to their sizes. 13 subspecies are identified and distinguished depending on their distribution zones.
Recognition
These tiny owls are very adorable to look at because of their shape and colorization. They have a flat head of brown and the color extends over the rest of their body feathers. The chest is mainly white, shadowed with brown feathers that peak out every now and again. A golden pair of bills sit right underneath the sunglass eyes to complete the recognition process.
Habitat
For breeding purposes, this species mostly favors south-central Arizona and southern Texas as the primary spots in the States. Other parts of the continent host breeding sites for them too. Central America includes Mexico while South American territories include Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. There, semi-open woods are the ideal spots for breeding.
Northern Pygmy-Owl
Source: @kevin_lippe_photography
- Scientific Name: Glaucidium californicum
- Size: 15 to 17 cm (5.9 to 6.7 in)
- Locality: Western North America
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: April to June
Northern Pygmy-Owls share the same genus with Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls but are passive hunters as opposed to the latter species. They usually sit tight and wait for their hunts like smaller mammals or birds, however, active huntings has also been spotted on a few occasions. Another unique fact about them is that they’re diurnal, breaking the owl-stereotypes for bird lovers.
Recognition
These birds literally look like a pair of woolen fluff balls put together in brown and white. Puffy body feathers surrounded by browns & white freckles open up the chest with dominance of whites. Dark brown lines exist there but it’s more prominent on the head and tail. The head is highly infused with white dots all over, only the face has a certain degree of clearing from the pattern.
Habitat
Four subspecies of the bird are distributed following the western parts of North America transpassing the borders of Canada, USA and Mexico. In Arizona, coniferous forests beside water bodies and woodlands at the edge of mountains are common breeding regions for Northern Pygmy-Owls. They too show a love for living inside cavities previously carved by woodpeckers.
Flammulated Owl
Source: @jennilsphotography
- Scientific Name: Psiloscops flammeolus
- Size: 15 cm (6 in)
- Locality: North America
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: Spring
It’s a very tiny species of owl that sizes up to only 6 inches, meaning you can easily fit it inside your palms. This isn’t encouraged though, because this insect-eating bird is losing the population at a drastic rate despite the Least Concern conservation status. Their diet is mostly composed of beetles and crickets, but an occasional devouring of small mammals also caters to their taste buds.
Recognition
This little owl is textured like olden, mossy tree-barks due to the patterns and colors. The base of the feathers is black and it’s a symbolically rich color for many avian species. White and brown textures sketch up the entirety of the body. There is some degree of facial hair right next to the tiny beaks and widened, black eyes.
Habitat
Flammulated Owls are somewhat migratory, spending most of the fall season in the central parts of the Americas. Otherwise, western parts of North America stretch their breeding zone. Winter habitats include Arizona, Texas and California due to the warmer weather and availability of food. This species doesn’t deviate from the common owl practice of living inside tree cavities.
Elf Owl
Source: @owls_and_wildlife_images
- Scientific Name: Micrathene whitneyi
- Size: 12.5 to 14.5 cm (4.9 to 5.7 in)
- Locality: Southwestern United States, central and northwestern Mexico
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: April to July
If you rank by weight, Elf Owls are probably the most lightweight owls to exist on earth, weighing only around 40 g (1.4 oz). These owls can fake their death so that the captor can relax for a while, which would be converted to an escape attempt. Due to their small size and miniscule weight, it reflects on their food habit of prying on arthropods for nutrition and survival.
Recognition
It’s not only the world’s lightest, but also the smallest owl as of this moment. Their legs are disproportionately long, and the body feathers are cast with a dark shade of brown and a tinge of gray. These are then textured with brown and white patterns but the designs aren’t flashy. The oval head holds a facial area cleared with white and light brown, allowing the ashen beaks to sit firmly.
Habitat
The habitat for the species is highly condensed around the southwestern parts of North America, making Arizona part of their home. Some of the population has entered central parts of Mexico. In all of these places, shrublands are their most convenient zones for living. From cactus to large trees, finding a cavity stands as a major task in their checklist during breeding season.
Northern Saw-Whet Owl
Source: @christopher_navarro_pics
- Scientific Name: Aegolius acadicus
- Size: 17 to 22 cm (6.7 to 8.7 in)
- Locality: North America
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: April to June
Northern Saw-Whet Owl has some unique listening abilities due to the vertical asymmetry of their ears. It enables them to listen to sounds at particular intervals, making triangulation of their hunt a precise process. But on the other hand, these owls are prone to getting hunted as well, mostly by other species of larger owls or even hawks like Red-tails or Cooper’s.
Recognition
Shades of whites and browns complete the feather orientation for Northern Saw-Whet Owls. The head is usually a large one, holding those always aware wide eyes in place. Around the eyes are white exposure parts that are closely surrounded by browns and severed lines of the former color. Wings on the back follow the same texture but the abdomen is usually white and golden brown.
Habitat
North American lands evenly lay down grounds for this species’ habitat zones. Arizona falls at the in-between place of year-round living and non-breeding areas. Migration is observed for these owls but they don’t usually follow any frequent pattern that can pin-point their every movement. The two subspecies find homes in both coniferous and deciduous forests.
Burrowing Owl
Source: @lck_wildlife
- Scientific Name: Athene cunicularia
- Size: 19 to 28 cm (7 to 11 in)
- Locality: North and South America
- Status: Least Concern
- Breeding Season: February to August
Burrowing Owl is one of the most common residents in the US states of Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico as some surplus populations find their way in Texas too. An astounding number of 18 subspecies has been recognized for the species so far. These owls are in danger of present day development interventions since these are causing habitat loss in a lot of their year-round localities.
Recognition
This golden-brown species is easily identified by their long legs which they frequently use for running as it helps them in hunting down target animals. Golden beaks and yellowish eyes make them look menacing to a lot of individuals. But these owls are mostly harmless and a generic brown over white abdomen and white-dotted brown feathers everywhere else renders a convenient recognition.
Habitat
Most of the open areas in North and South America is where you’ll find Burrowing Owls. The reason for calling them ‘burrowing’ is because they either dig up the hole for habitation or depend on other animal species to do it for them. These birds can live in rural regions as comfortably as urban settlements.
Thoughts
Finding owls in Arizona isn’t really a challenging task for bird lovers because of the wide array of species calling this place home as of this moment.
But it won’t be the same within a couple of decades if we don’t prevent a catastrophic loss of their habitat zones or hunting down under the banner of population control.
It’s true that a lot of the species here are spreaded across the entire world, meaning Arizona isn’t the only place for them to live in harmony.
Still, as a local, it falls under your jurisdiction to step up in order to ensure that these owls can keep on calling the state their home.
That’s one of the many steps we should take as bird lovers so that this southwestern state can be regarded as a safe haven, not only for owls, but also for every other species trying to survive out in the wilderness.
Audio Credits: xeno-canto, wikimedia
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