9 Owl Species That Live in New Brunswick! (2025)

“What types of owls can you see in New Brunswick?”

The above question is common, so I thought I’d help by making a list of all the individual owl species that live in New Brunswick.

united states owls

The temptation to intersperse this entire article with puns is almost overwhelming.  I could just wing it and beak-off about these birds all day long, but I really do give a hoot, and soon you would be talon me to stop it. Ok, settle down because that is owl you get. 🙂

9 owl species in New Brunswick.

Make sure to pay attention to the range maps to see which owls live near you! For each species, I have tried to include some photographs, along with their most common sounds, to help you identify any owls that appear near your home.


#1. Great Horned Owl

great horned owl

Great Horned Owls are common in New Brunswick.

In fact, these raptors can actually be found almost anywhere in North America, from the Arctic south to the tropics. Its habitat is practically unlimited as long as there are trees and rocky nesting sites available. It is hard to find a bird that can adapt better than a Great Horned Owl.

Great Horned Owl Range Map

great horned owl range map

These owls are quite large and look fierce! To identify, look for their long tufts of feathers that resemble ears on their head. Also, check out their intimidating eyes. I know I would not want to have a staring contest with one!

Both sexes hoot, but males are lower-pitched than females. Males give territorial calls that can be heard a few miles away at night. I don’t think there’s another owl species that does hooting better than a Great Horned Owl!

YouTube video

 

Generally speaking, these owls tend to eat larger animals to sustain their bigger bodies. They seek rabbits, geese, groundhogs, many species of birds, rats, and even other raptors! But, these owls also have no problem eating small prey, such as frogs, insects, invertebrates, reptiles, mice, and scorpions. Interestingly, a Great Horned Owls’ sense of smell is so weak that they even attack and eat skunks!

Length: 17-25 inches (43 – 64 cm)

Weight: 2.5 to 4 pounds (1134 – 1814 grams)

Wingspan: 3 – 5 feet (91-153 cm)

Scientific Name: Bubo virginianus


#2. Short-eared Owl

short eared owl

This mid-sized tawny-brown mottled owl is widely distributed across North America. These birds mostly hunt in the daytime when voles, their favorite meal, are active. Interestingly, they are one of the most common owls you can see during daylight hours!

Short-eared Owls are typically found in open country. Your best chance to spot them in ST*TE is at duck or dawn in fields, grasslands, meadows, or even airports.

Short-eared Owl Range Map

short eared owl range map

These owls build their nests on the ground in open areas.  If obliged to flee its nest to draw off a predator, the parent will poop on the eggs so the smell will keep predators away.  Similar to a Kildeer, Short-eared Owls also lure predators away from their nest by hopping away and pretending to be crippled.

Short-eared Owls are not particularly vocal. But when they do make noises, these birds have a call, oddly enough, that sounds an awful lot like a cat looking for a mate.

YouTube video

 

Length: 13–17 inches (34–43 cm)

Weight: 7.3–16.8 oz (206–475 grams)

Wingspan: 33.5-40.5 inches (85–103 cm)

Scientific Name: Asio flammeus


#3. Northern Saw-whet Owl

northern saw whet owl

If you see a tiny owl in New Brunswick, there’s a good chance it’s a Northern Saw-whet Owl! In fact, this species is one of the smallest owls on the planet.

Northern Saw-whet Owls seem to prefer dense coniferous or mixed hardwood forests, with a river nearby. Because of their need for mature trees, their numbers have been declining.

Northern Saw-whet Owl Range Map

northern saw-whet owl range map

Abandoned woodpecker holes in deciduous trees are typically used for nests, but these owls will also use artificial nesting boxes. Interestingly, females will breed indiscriminately with various males in any given season, having more than one clutch of eggs.  As soon as the chicks have feathers, she leaves to find another mate while Dad tends to this batch of chicks.

These owls get their name from the sound they make when alarmed, which resembles the whetting (sharpening) of a saw. But their most common call happens during the breeding season. It sounds like a “too-too-too,” emitted at about two notes per second.

YouTube video

Length: 6.5–9 inches (17–23 cm)

Weight: 1.9–5.3 oz. (54–151 grams)

Wingspan: 16.5–22.2 inches (42–56.3 cm)

Scientific Name: Aegolius acadicus


#4. Barred Owl

common owls in the united states

Barred Owls (aka the Hoot Owl) are an unthreatened, nocturnal owl found in New Brunswick.  The name “barred” derives from the horizontal stripes of alternating light brown and dark brown on the wings, back, and tail.

Barred Owls are the species that I have observed the most in the wild. They are incredibly curious and inquisitive, and many times will watch as you walk past them. Even if they get nervous as you approach, they typically just fly off to another tree to continue observing.

Barred Owl Range Map

barred owl range map

Since these owls are relatively large, they are at the top of the food chain. Their only predators Great Horned Owls and bad humans!

Barred Owls rely on mice and other small rodents but eat just about anything made of meat! They will readily grab rats, rabbits, bats, squirrels, moles, minks, weasels, opossums, a variety of birds, frogs, snakes, fish, turtles, and will even hunt around your nightly campfire to catch some sweet, juicy insects.

And speaking of classical noises, their hoots are the classic sounds featured in movies and scary Halloween tales.

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It’s easy to recognize their call as it sounds like they are asking, “Who cooks for you?Barred Owls will sound off during daylight hours too, and they mate for life.

Length: 16–25 inches (40–63 cm)

Weight: 1–2.75 pounds (500–1250 gr)

Wingspan: 38–49 inches (96–125 cm)

Scientific Name: Strix varia


#5. Long-eared Owl

long eared owl

Long-eared Owls are also known as the Northern Long-Eared Owl, Lesser Horned Owl, or Cat Owl because of their catlike facial features. They are secretive and roost in very dense foliage. Combined with their excellent camouflage, these owls are EXTREMELY hard to spot in New Brunswick!

As you can see, these owls get their name from the long tufts of feathers on their heads. These ear tufts resemble exclamation points, so Long-eared Owls often seem like they have a surprised look on their face.

Long-eared Owl Range Map

long eared owl range map

Amongst owls, these guys are almost unique by being quite sociable.  They are known to live in clusters and even share roosts!

Since Long-eared Owls can be incredibly hard to see, the best way to locate them is to listen! During the mating season, males are quite talkative. Their typical call is repeated anywhere from 10 to 200 times and sounds like a low “hoo,” evenly spaced every few seconds.

YouTube video

 

Length: 31 and 40 cm (12 and 16 in)

Weight: 288 g – 327 g (10.2 oz – 11.5 oz)

Wingspan: 86 to 102 cm (34 in to 40 in)

Scientific Name: Asio otus


#6. Snowy Owl

common snowy owl

Snowy Owls are one of the most stunning animals on the planet! Their white plumage stops almost everyone in their tracks, both birders and non-birders alike! Although they are mostly white, they have horizontal dark lines all over their bodies except the face and breast. Interestingly, individuals seem to get whiter with age.

Snowy Owl Range Map

snowy owl range map

Snowy Owls migrate with the changing seasons. During summer, they mate and breed in northern Canada on the tundra. But when winter arrives, these birds come south.

You never know how far south Snowy Owls will travel.

Most years, Snowy Owls only appear as far down as the northern USA. But some years, there is an “irruption” of Snowy Owls, and many more birds than normal migrate south.

When defending their territory or searching for a mate, males make a loud “hoo, hoo.” This hoot is so loud that it can be heard up to 7 miles away on the tundra! Females rarely hoot, but other noises (for both sexes) include cackles, shrieks, hissing, and bill snapping.

YouTube video

 

Length: 20.7–25.2 inches (52.5–64 cm)

Weight: 3.2–4 lb. (1,465–1,800 gram)

Wingspan: 48–60 inches (1.2–1.5 meters)

Scientific Name: Bubo scandiacus


#7. Great Gray Owl

great gray owl

Great Gray Owls are one of the largest owls in New Brunswick!

If you’re lucky enough to see one, they are stunning raptors. Many people think they look like they are wearing a grey suit with a bowtie around its neck!

These owls cover a lot of territory for their range, but they prefer to live in a forest near a clearing. It’s instrumental in the wintertime, as they need a lot of area for listening to rodents running beneath the snow so they can crash through and catch lunch! Because they are so big, they require a lot of food, eating up to 7 rodents every day.

Great Gray Owl Range Map

great gray owl range map

Grey Gray Owls NEVER build nests.  They just use ones that other big birds made. Talk about being efficient! However, once they claim a used nest, these owls will defend it courageously, even against black bears!

Their call is reasonably distinctive, bold, and deep, sounding like “whooooo, woo, woo, woo.” They also have a soft double hoot that is used when providing food to their babies or defending a territory.

YouTube video

 

Length: 24 – 33 inches (61–84 cm)

Weight: 1.5 – 4 lb (580–1,900 grams

Wingspan: 5 feet (1.5 meters)

Scientific Name: Strix nebulosa


#8. Boreal Owl

types of owls in the united states of america

The Boreal Owl is an incredibly small owl found in New Brunswick.

They can be tricky to identify because they have a variety of colors (from reddish-brown to gray) and patterns, even though it is genetically the same owl.  They can possess either dots or streaks, and sometimes both on the top or bottom of the body.

Boreal Owl Range Map

boreal owl range map

Boreal Owls live in the boreal forests and can be seen in stands of aspen, poplar, spruce, fir, and birch trees. Because of their remote locations, these owls are relatively uncommon and hard to study and see, and not much is known about their population trends.

These owls like to perch low in coniferous forests and alpine areas and tilt their heads back and forth to scan for prey sounds with their extremely directional hearing.  Once they have a target, they swoop in, and dinner is served.  Since Boreal Owls are small, voles, bats, frogs, beetles, birds, and baby squirrels are their primary foods.

YouTube video

Their call is a small series of whistled toots that gets progressively louder. Males typically only hoot during the breeding season to attract a female.

Length: 9–10.5 inches (22–27 cm) long

Weight: 3.2–7 oz. (90-200 gr)

Wingspan: 20–24 inches (50–62 cm)

Scientific Name: Aegolius funereus


#9. Northern Hawk Owl

northern hawk owl

As the name suggests, Northern Hawk Owls tend to act more like hawks than owls! These owls sit solitary in tall trees and hunt during the day, which are rare traits in owls.

Northern Hawk Owl Range Map

northern hawk owl range map

These owls prefer northern climates and the boreal forest.

Northern Hawk Owls commonly feed on voles since they can be eaten whole and are generally plentiful.  They also will eat baby hares, red squirrels, mice, rats, and lemmings.  Smaller songbirds fit into their diet, too, such as robins, jays, starlings, grackles, finches, and sparrows.

Males make a rolling, low “hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo” sound repeated 10 to 200 times. Females have similar calls, but it’s shorter and hoarser.

YouTube video

 

Males make a rolling, low “hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo” sound repeated 10 to 200 times. Females have similar calls, but it’s shorter and hoarser.

Length: 14.2–17.75 inches (36–45 cm)

Weight: 11–12 oz (300–340 grams)

Wingspan: 31–35 inches (77–89 cm)

Scientific Name: Surnia ulula


Do you need additional help identifying owls?

Here are a few books and resources you can purchase that will provide assistance! (Links below take you to Amazon)



  • Which owls have you seen before in New Brunswick?
  • Leave a comment below!

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One Comment

  1. I take my pups at 5 am and for the last 2 days have heard an owl. Judging by listening to the recorded calls, I believe it’s the Great Horned Owl. I live in Oak Bay, NB on a 12.5 acre parcel in the woods😊