230 Birds Every Child Should Know 
BARRED OWL 
Called also: Hoot Owl 
If “a good child should be seen and not 
heard” what can be said for this owl? Its 
deep-toned whoo-whoo-who-whoo-to-whoo-ah, like 
the wail of some lost soul asking the way, is the 
only indication you are likely to have that a 
hoot owl lives in your neighbourhood. You 
can imitate its voice and deliberately “hoot it 
up.” Few people who know its voice will ever 
see its smooth, round, bland, almost human 
face. 
“ As useless as a last year’s nest ” can have no 
meaning to a pair of these large hardy owls 
that go about toward the end of winter looking 
for a deserted woodpecker’s nest or a hawk’s, 
crow’s, or squirrel’s bulky cradle in some tree 
top. Ever after they hold it as their own. 
Farmers shoot the owl that occasionally takes 
one of their broilers or a game bird, not knowing 
that the remainder of its diet really leaves them 
in its debt. 
SCREECH OWLS 
A boy I know had a pair of little screech owls 
invite themselves to live in a box he had nailed 
