Q What types of owls can be seen in Minnesota this time of year?

A Our state is rich in owls. In early April, you have a chance of seeing 10 species of owls in Minnesota.

Long-eared, short-eared, Northern saw-whet, snowy, great horned, great gray, barred, boreal, northern hawk and Eastern screech-owls can each be seen or heard somewhere in the state -- if you know what they look like, where to look, what habitat they frequent and what calls they make.

Great horned owls and Eastern screech-owls are the two owls with "ears" that are commonly seen in the Twin Cities. The huge, great horned owl should be on the nest now. Look for their big Batman-style ears sticking up from a platform nest high in the fork of a large tree. This time of year, you can hear great horneds singing their five-hoot duets.

The small Eastern screech-owl can sometimes be seen peering out of a wood duck box. Small birds often flock to their eerie calls -- a high-pitched quavering.

Barred owls have an affinity for water, so they often can be seen or heard near lakes or marshes. Not quite as large as the great horned, the barred owl can be distinguished by its round head (without "ears") and dark eyes. The barred owl is known for its common eight-hoot "who-cooks-for-you, who-cooks-for-you-all" call, but it also makes some of nature's strangest sounds: wild caterwauling and screaming during spring mating.

Jim Williams Special To The Star, Star Tribune
Short-eared owl

Snowy owls, the big white owl that gained fame in the Harry Potter movies, can be seen in winter throughout Minnesota on open fields, frozen lakes and airports. But because they don't nest here, they'll soon be departing for the treeless tundra where they make their home.

In northern Minnesota, you can find the tiny Northern saw-whet owl engaged in endlessly whistled "tooting" at night on its territory, which is most commonly areas with mixed aspen-coniferous forest. You also may find boreal owls, another cavity nester, in these areas. Saw-whets sometimes can be found nesting as far south as the Twin Cities, while the boreal owl, which is sporadic and rare as a nesting bird, is found only in the northern counties.

Two owls that may be found in the large bogs of the north are the Northern hawk owl and the great gray owl. The great gray may be heard at night with its deep booming set of hoots tailing off to low bass tones. The Northern hawk owl, which is hawklike in appearance and behavior, has a large head and an attenuated profile. In flight or when perched, they appear similar to falcons. Their species name, Ulula, comes from the incessant and loud calls they make when defending their breeding territories.

Long-eared and short-eared owls will be moving northward through the state at this time of year. You may find their roosts in clusters of immature pines, cedars or spruce trees near grassy meadows. Long-eareds favor mixed meadows and forest, while short-eareds are birds of the open prairie and marshes. You can hear them giving their "barking" call at dusk in most prairie habitat, especially in northwestern Minnesota.

This column is prepared by Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) members Mark Alt and Anthony Hertzel. To ask questions about back-yard birding for this column, call 612-673-4363 or send questions to birds@stribmail.com. Questions will be answered in the newspaper only.