Hello from Harriet
The Barred Owl
Harriet came to Walden’s Puddle as a nestling Barred Owl with juvenile cataracts (a medical condition that results in blurred vision).
She was adopted by NWCC in May and was named after the abolitionist and naturalist, Harriet Tubman. As a Barred Owl, she is
naturally curious, and loves bathing in water and playing with toys.
Invite Harriet to Your School!
More about Barred Owls
Hoo’s the Competition?
The Great Horned Owl is the most serious predatory threat to the Barred Owl. Although the two species often live in the same areas, a Barred Owl will move to another part of its territory when a Great Horned Owl is nearby.
How old?!
The oldest recorded Barred Owl was at least 24 years, 1 month old. It was band in Minnesota in 1986 and found dead, entangled in fishing gear, in the same state in 2010.
Did You Know?
Barred Owls don’t migrate, and they don’t even move around very much. Of 158 birds that were banded and then found later, none had moved farther than 6 miles away.
Climb On!
Young Barred Owls can climb trees by grasping the bark with their bill and talons, flapping their wings, and walking their way up the trunk.
Once upon a time…
Pleistocene fossils of Barred Owls, at least 11,000 years old, have been dug up in Florida, Tennessee, and Ontario.
