Barred Owl (Strix varia)

* Family: Strigidae,

* Genus: Strix,

* Species: S. varia,

* Type: Bird,

* Diet: Carnivore,

* Average lifespan in the wild: 10-13 years,

* Size: 44 cm long with a 112 cm wingspan,

* Weight: 1-1.5 lbs. (females slightly larger than males),

* Common Names: hoot owl, rain owl, round-headed owl, swamp owl, wood owl,

* Habitat: Barred owls prefer mature forests and heavily wooded swamps. They roost in densely forested areas, and hunt over farmland, open country, roadsides and rivers. They are often associated with red-shouldered hawks.

** The Barred Owl is a medium-sized gray-brown owl that is streaked with white horizontal barring on the chest and vertical barring on the belly. They are round-headed with a whitish-brown facial disk that has brown trim. There are no feather tufts. The eyes are brown, and the beak is yellow and almost covered by feathers. The dark brown back is spotted with white and the long tail is crossed with six or seven sharply defined bands of pale brown. There is no difference in plumage between the males and the larger females.

More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barred_Owl