We have some sort of hooty owl that we've heard over the last couple of weeks. The type that goes "hoo-hoo hooooo". Guessing it's either a barred owl or great horned owl.

I want to build him a home so he can eat the rodents in my yard but the internet is not helpful.

Anyone have any ideas?

Or

Hoping Marzy or SC can point to a box plan and where to place it....

You’re thinking of something like a wood duck house?

Maybe this (scroll down to #2)
https://www.birdsandblooms.com...0and%20even%20homes.

I'd say yes but I dont know if that's what would invite an owl to move in...

ETA: #2 is for a screech owl.

Found this for a a
horned owl:

quote:

Great Horned Owl nest platform dimensions overview

Floor 22x22 inches
Side height 8 inches
No roof
15-45 feet above the ground

I searched owl boxes and found a dozen sights and another dozen videos

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
I searched owl boxes and found a dozen sights and another dozen videos

Well arent you helpful...

Finally found a barred owl house:

quote:

This barred owl house is constructed with cedar, pine or most any softwood.

Use wood stock rough-cut on both sides so birds can grip interior and exterior surfaces.

It has a 12″ by 12″ floor (inside dimensions) and is 22″ floor to ceiling (inside front).

Species nest box dimensions for barred owls.
A 7″ by 7″ entrance hole (with straight cut bottom and sides and arched top) is located 18″ above the floor (to top of hole). Ventilation openings are in the floor and under the roof.

Now to guess which one to build...

Probably a GHO.

The barred owl box will be good for the barred owl, indeed
.

If that's the owl that you have.

It might be a bit of a squeeze for a great horned owl.

But the barred owl would fit nicely with some room to spare in the great horned box.

I have several in the woods behind my house. Silent death from the night sky. It would take a big box to house a GHO. I scan the trees with my binos and from time to time, see them perched near the trunks of the trees using their coloration to blend in. Between the owls and the coyotes they take a toll on my rabbits.

I put a Barn Owl box, with a video camera inside, at our old house. Owls came back every year and we have hundreds of pics of the babies eating growing, etc. Then they start to fly, just a hop away and back to box, then further as they get older. I loved to watch daddy Owl drop rats and gophers in the box, then fly out and come back with more.

At our new house in the Forest, we are still waiting for some Owls. We are told Barn Owls are not really in our area, although we see Horned Owls.

But, the bee's moved in and started a hive! 135$ later for the beekeeper, were back to waiting for Owls.

There are a lot of Owl box designs on the internet, and even companies that sell them complete. Highly recommend one with a video camera.

Good Luck

They are great fun.
We always knew when the new owl babies were out of the old Elm tree across the street at the cemetery.

They wanted the whole neighborhood to know .

Very entertaining.

For about 45 minutes then it was time to shut them the hell up with 250 lumens of gag light.

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