Central Ohio Owl Project

How to Participate

If you find an owl, please let us know! These owls can show up anywhere, even in suburbs and parks; carefully check evergreen trees during the day for sleeping owls. Barn Owls can also be in garages, barns, silos, and other structures. (All reported owl locations will be kept strictly confidential. Any publications will report sightings at the county or township level.) You may be eligible for a cash reward for your sighting!

Click Here to Let Us Know About an Owl Sighting!

 

Project Rationale

Unlike most other bird species, owls are nocturnal, secretive, cryptic, and elusive, which means that the normal techniques for documenting birds will likely miss many of them. There are probably many people outside of the birding and scientific communities who are familiar with owls wintering in their area, perhaps in their barn or a stand of evergreen trees on their property. If those owls could be documented, it will help to fill in blank areas on the map of owl distribution. It will also encourage enthusiasm and excitement for this underappreciated group of birds. The three species below are considered to be threatened or species of concern in Ohio, so having more information about their winter distribution can also help with their conservation.

 

https://columbusaudubon.org/