What Type of Owls Live in Southern Cal?

Whether you enjoy bird-watching or just want to know what types of owls to shoo from your roof, familiarize yourself with the owls that live in Southern California. The Southern California desert provides a specific habitat for certain owl species that differs from other habitats in the country. Although Southern California is home to a variety of owls, they are all unique in their own way.

  1. Barn Owls

    • Barn owls live in the Southern California habitat, although they are widely dispersed throughout North America. These owls are characterized by their light heart-shaped faces with dark outline and dark eyes, giving them nicknames like ghost owls and monkey-faced owls. Barn owls that live in the desert adapt their diets and primarily eat small desert rodents, lizards, frogs, insects and birds, which are available in Southern California environments.

    Great Horned Owl

    • The Great Horned owl is a large owl with prominent ear tufts. They are also characterized by their brown feathers and dark spots, with very little light coloring. These owls are opportunistic hunters, meaning they feed on prey they come across in the Southern California lands. They also feed on smaller owls. Great Horned owls of the southwest are smaller in size than the ones found in the northeast, according to Owling.

    Western Screech Owl

    • The Western Screen owl is a small-sized owl that lives in Southern California. This owl is gray or grayish-brown with black streaks on the feathers and yellow eyes. Western Screech owls adapt to living in urban and rural areas; however, urbanization is a threat to their habitat. They can be found nesting in trees, sitting and waiting for their prey, rather than actively hunting. Western Screen owls of Southern California feed on cottontail rabbits and other small mammals or insects.

    Long-Eared Owl

    • Long-eared owls are native to Southern California deserts. These owls have long ears and grey-brown feathers. They prey on desert animals such as rats, snakes, birds, insects and rabbits. They can blend in and hide in dense thickets due to their coloring, which is where they prefer to stay, but they do their hunting out in the open. In the southwest region, hawks are their primary predators.