Illustration of a well-designed Barn Owl nest box

Best Owl Nest Boxes: Our Top Picks for Screech-Owl and Barn Owl

As covered in our nest guide, only Eastern Screech-Owl and Barn Owl reliably accept a nest box. These picks are built specifically for those two species — nothing here will attract Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, or Snowy Owl. What We Looked For Duncraft Bird-Safe…

Illustration of an owl pellet dissection kit in use

Best Owl Pellet Dissection Kits for Classrooms and Curious Kids

As covered in our owl pellets guide, a pellet is genuine, physical evidence of diet — and a good dissection kit brings that evidence directly into a classroom or living room without requiring a wild find. What We Looked For Home Science Tools Owl Pellet…

Illustration of a red-light headlamp used for owling at night

Best Red-Light Flashlights and Headlamps for Owling

“Owling” — deliberately heading out after dark specifically to find owls — has its own dedicated gear culture, and a good red-light flashlight or headlamp is close to the center of it. Why Red Light Specifically Red light preserves human night vision far better than…

Illustration of a Snowy Owl hunting under continuous Arctic summer daylight

Owls in Summer: Branching, Fledging, and Arctic Daylight

Summer is when the genuinely unique branching stage covered in our baby owls guide becomes most visible across this family, while Snowy Owl experiences something no other species on this site deals with at all: continuous daylight. Great Horned Owl and Barred Owl: Branching in…

Illustration of a young owl dispersing to establish its own territory in fall

Owls in Fall: Dispersal, Territory, and the Start of Irruption Season

Fall marks a genuine transition across this family — young birds from spring and summer broods disperse to find their own territory, and for Snowy Owl specifically, fall is when a potential irruption year actually begins to take shape. Post-Breeding Dispersal Great Horned Owl, Barred…

Illustration of a Great Horned Owl incubating eggs in the middle of winter

Owls in Winter: Survival, Great Horned Owl’s Early Start, and Peak Irruption Viewing

Winter is genuinely the toughest season for survival across most of this family — and, for Great Horned Owl specifically, it’s already the start of an entirely new breeding season. The Hardest Season for Most Species Barred Owl, Eastern Screech-Owl, and Barn Owl all face…