The sizable swaths of boreal forest, bountiful wetlands, and open extensive open habitats make Michigan an attractive place for owls. In fact, Michigan is home to the best owl diversity of any state east of the Mississippi River, as 11 owls in Michigan are regularly observed. However, what kind of owls are in Michigan?
Some Michigan owls are far more common than others, but I will nonetheless describe each of the regular types of owls in Michigan in this comprehensive guide. Keep reading to learn more about Michigan owls. I’ll also let you know where the best places to find these creatures may be. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
11 Owls In Michigan
Barn Owl (American Subspecies)
Scientific Name: Tyto alba
Length: ~12.5 – 16 inches ( 32 – 40 cm)
Weight: 14 – 24.7 ounces
Wingspan: ~39.5 – 49 inches (100 – 125 cm)
Barn Owls are the rarest owls of Michigan, with fewer than 65 Michigan observations of these raptors being submitted to eBird. Sightings of these creatures are sporadic, being made throughout the state at any time of year.
American Barn Owls in Michigan are typically migrants who have gotten off course. Therefore, sheltered areas off of the Great Lakes are good places to search for vagrants. Of course, several of these birds of prey in Michigan have appeared in barns or sheds, so be sure to check these structures if they exist on your property.
American Barn Owls are a treat in Michigan, and birders should carefully document any potential bird that they believe to be one of these birds. Ultimately, finding one of these charming owls native to Michigan is more a matter of luck than skill.
Barred Owl
Scientific Name: Strix varia
Length: 19 inches (53 cm)
Weight: 16.5 to 37 ounces
Wingspan: 39 – 43 inches (99 – 110 cm)
Barred Owls are often the most commonly observed owl in states east of the Mississippi River, but this is not the case in Michigan. Instead, Barred Owls are the second most commonly observed owl in Michigan according to eBird data.
Nevertheless, Barred Owls are easy to observe in Michigan. They are regulars throughout the state, but they don’t tend to be quite as numerous in the UP given that boreal forest is not their preferred habitat.
The best places to find Barred Owls are mixed forests that include both coniferous and deciduous trees. Therefore, suburban neighborhoods, nature preserves, and other forested locales may yield these predators. Barred Owls can be observed year-round in the state.
Boreal Owl
Scientific Name: Aegolius funereus
Length: 21 – 28 cm (8.3 – 11 inches)
Weight: 3.3 – 7.6 ounces
Wingspan: 55 – 62 cm (21.5 – 24.5 inches)
Boreal Owls are the 2nd-rarest of the Michigan owls behind Barn Owls, although Boreal Owls may not be quite as rare as some imagine. Rather, these owl species in Michigan are small and difficult to detect due to their nocturnal habits and their tendencies to roost in dense tree cover.
All but two eBird records of Boreal Owls in Michigan have been made in the Upper Peninsula. Here, many of the records are made at Whitefish Point, as dedicated owl banding takes place at this location. However, the Keweenaw Peninsula has a respectable number of records as well.
Boreal Owls are not considered to be breeders in Michigan, as no summer records have ever been submitted to eBird for this state. Instead, Boreal Owls may wander south in Michigan from Canada during the winter. Checking out a banding program at Whitefish Point would be one’s best chance to see one of these owls in northern Michigan.
Eastern Screech-Owl
Scientific Name: Otus asio
Length: 8.5 inches (22 cm)
Weight: 4.3 – 8.6 ounces
Wingspan: 19 – 24 inches (48 – 61 cm)
Eastern Screech-Owls are regular year-round residents in much of Michigan, but they get progressively more uncommon as one travels further north. Indeed, these small owls in Michigan are entirely absent from the Upper Peninsula, with no eBird records of this species in that region.
Therefore, central and southern Michigan is the best place to look for Eastern Screech-Owls. Screech-owls are popular birds in Michigan thanks to their willingness to frequent residential areas where no other owls native to Michigan can be found. In fact, they may even be found within parks in urban areas like Detroit!
Eastern Screech-Owls do well in woodlots, suburban neighborhoods, and parks. They are cavity-nesters, so they may nest in birdhouses within backyards. Otherwise, watch out for a subtle screech-owl to be perched on the cusp of a tree cavity as it suns itself in the middle of the day.
Great Gray Owl
Scientific Name: Strix nebulosa
Length: ~24 – 33 inches (61 – 84 cm)
Weight: 24.75 – 60 ounces
Wingspan: ~54 – 60 inches (137 – 153 cm)
These awe-inspiring owls are occasional visitors to Michigan, with just shy of 250 eBird reports for these northern Michigan owls existing in the state. Most Great Gray Owls in Michigan are vagrants, but there are a few breeding records from the state.
The Upper Peninsula is the premier spot to observe Great Gray Owls in Michigan, as the most southerly records in Michigan are from Grayling and Traverse City. The Upper Peninsula has attracted good numbers of these northern owls, with plenty of records from Whitefish Point, the Keweenaw Peninsula, and the eastern portion of the UP.
Although Great Gray Owls have been recorded breeding in Michigan, it is very difficult to locate nests of these owls of Michigan despite their massive size. Therefore, winter remains the optimal time to search for Great Grays. Watch for them to perch at meadow edges at dawn and dusk.
Great Horned Owl
Scientific Name: Bubo virginianus
Length: 22 inches (56 cm)
Weight: 33 – 88 ounces
Wingspan: 40 – 57 inches (101 – 145 cm)
Great Horned Owls beat out Barred Owls for the title of the most commonly observed owl in Michigan. These year-round residents are considered to be the heaviest types of owls in Michigan.
Great Horned Owls are distributed throughout Michigan, although they do not seem to have populations as dense in the UP compared to the Lower Peninsula. Nevertheless, Great Horned Owls can readily be observed anywhere within the state.
Look for these Michigan owls to be found in semi-open locations such as windbreaks, farmsteads, and forest edges rather than dense forests. They may use structures like barns as places to seek shelter.
Long-eared Owl
Scientific Name: Asio otus
Length: ~13.75 – 15.75 inches (35 – 40 cm)
Weight: 7.75 – 15.25 ounces
Wingspan: 35.5 – 39.5 inches (90 – 100 cm)
Long-eared Owls are a rather common Michigan owl, but these owl species in Michigan can be difficult to detect. These Michigan owls breed in dense stands of conifers or mixed forests in the UP and the northern half of the Lower Peninsula.
In winter, Long-eared Owls travel south of their breeding range, giving them a distribution that covers the entirety of Michigan. They are strictly nocturnal raptors, so it can be hard for birders to detect them unless they find a roost. These owls in Michigan tend to reuse roosts for weeks or even months at a time so long as they receive minimal disturbance.
Long-eared Owls seek thickets of conifers, willows, or other thick woody vegetation as a good roosting spot. If you do find a roost, be sure to give an owl plenty of space. Repeated disturbance can cause an owl to abandon a roost and put the bird’s life in danger.
Northern Hawk Owl
Scientific Name: Surnia ulula
Length: 14.25 – 17.5 inches (36 – 44.75 cm)
Weight: 10.5 – 12 ounces
Wingspan: 29.25 – 32 inches (74 – 81 cm)
A Northern Hawk Owl is an elusive, highly desirable Michigan owl. They have a fascinating appearance, with the head of an owl and the body of a hawk. However, rest assured that these birds are entirely owl.
They, Great Gray Owls, and Boreal Owls comprise a trio of sought-after northern owls that occur within Michigan. Like the other owls in northern Michigan, the best place to spot a Northern Hawk Owl is the Upper Peninsula. There are a few records in the LP, but none are further south than Traverse City.
Northern Hawk Owls perch prominently at the tops of snags, utility posts, and buildings when they’re on the prowl. This makes these owls of Michigan easier to observe than the two other northern owls. Ornithologists don’t think Northern Hawk Owls breed in Michigan at this time, so December through February is the best time to observe one of these winter birds in Michigan.
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Scientific Name: Aegolius acadicus
Length: 7 – 8 inches (18 – 21 cm)
Weight: 2.5 – 5.5 ounces
Wingspan: 16.5 – 19 inches (42 – 48 cm)
Northern Saw-whet Owls are the smallest types of owls in Michigan, and they have a strong case to also be the cutest Michigan owls. These petite predators can be found year-round in much of the state, with all of Michigan hosting saw-whets in winter.
Anywhere north of Cadillac is generally considered to be within the breeding range of Michigan saw-whet owls. These owls of Michigan are known to be cavity nesters, so they will readily use birdhouses that have been placed in wooded backyards.
It can be difficult to find a Northern Saw-whet Owl in the breeding season if a nest can’t be located. Winter is generally a better time to search, as they may be found at a roost where they routinely perch. Although they allow birders to approach them closely, it is best to give these creatures the space that they deserve.
Short-eared Owl
Scientific Name: Asio flammeus
Length: 15 inches (38 cm)
Weight: 7.3 – 17 ounces
Wingspan: 33.5 – 40.5 inches (85 – 103 cm)
Short-eared Owls are a crepuscular Michigan owl. There have been a few breeding records of these animals in the past decade, but they are not considered to be regular breeders in the state.
Instead, winter is the best time to observe Short-eared Owls in Michigan. During this time, owls that bred in the north travel south and settle in open spaces with extensive adjacent cover around Michigan.
Marshes, prairies, and agricultural fields are good locations to find Short-eared Owls. Unlike most owls on this list, they are more common in southern Michigan during the winter than in the UP. Most leave the state by mid-April.
Snowy Owl
Scientific Name: Bubo scandiacus
Length: 20.75 – 26 inches (53 – 66 cm)
Weight: 25 – 88 ounces
Wingspan: 49.25 – 65.25 inches (125 – 166 cm)
Snowy Owls are one of the most exciting owls to witness in Michigan. Many birders will be pleased to know that seeing a Michigan Snowy Owl is far easier than observing most of the other owls on this list, as there have been nearly 12,000 eBird records of this species in the state to date.
Snowy Owls breed far away from Michigan on the arctic tundra of Canada, so don’t expect to see one of these stunning owls in the summer. Rather, keep your eyes out for Snowy Owls in winter when they may invade Michigan in good numbers.
Snowy Owls look for wide open, flat places when they visit Michigan, as such locations are most similar to their arctic habitat. Therefore, airports, agricultural fields, wetlands, and beaches are all good spots to look for these birds of prey.