Barred owl fledgling, Acadia National Park, 2014.

The barred owl (Strix varia) is better known as the hoot owl because of its distinctive call. The only similar owl in an overlapping range is the spotted owl; however, the spotted owl, perhaps not surprisingly, has spots rather than streaks down its underside. Unfortunately, barred owls seem to be at least partly responsible for the recent decline of the northern spotted owl across the Pacific Northwest. When competing for the same habitat, barred owls tend to be more aggressive and out-compete spotted owls, even in their native habitats.