17 Owls In Texas (With ID Guide, Size & Wingspan Info)

Texas is home to a surprising variety of owls, from the powerful Great Horned Owl to the tiny Elf Owl. These amazing birds live in forests, deserts, grasslands, and even backyards across the state. Some are easy to spot, while others are rare and secretive. In this guide, you’ll discover 17 owl species found in Texas, along with tips to identify them by size, sound, wingspan, and where they’re most likely to be seen.

Table of Contents

1. Great Horned Owl

The Great Horned Owl is the largest and most powerful owl in Texas. Known for its deep hooting call and ear-like tufts, it can be found statewide in woodlands, deserts, and even city edges. It hunts at night using incredible strength and silent flight to catch rabbits, snakes, and birds. This owl is highly adaptable and one of the most common owls in North America.

Scientific Name: Bubo virginianus
Lifespan: 10–15 years (wild)
Size: 18–25 inches
Weight: 2–5.5 lbs
Wingspan: 39–57 inches

2. Barn Owl

Barn Owls are easily recognized by their heart-shaped faces and pale coloring. Found throughout Texas in barns, fields, and grasslands, they hunt rodents using amazing low-light vision and pinpoint hearing. These owls rarely hoot—instead, they screech. Barn Owls nest in tree cavities and buildings, often in quiet rural areas. They’re more commonly seen at dusk or just before dawn as ghostly figures gliding over open land.

Scientific Name: Tyto alba
Lifespan: 4–8 years (wild)
Size: 12–16 inches
Weight: 14–24 oz
Wingspan: 39–49 inches

3. Screech Owl (Eastern Screech Owl)

Small but fierce, the Eastern Screech Owl is a master of camouflage. It comes in gray or reddish-brown morphs that blend perfectly with tree bark. This owl is common across Texas, especially in wooded suburbs and parks. It doesn’t screech—its call is a soft, trilling whinny. Active at night, it feeds on insects, small mammals, and birds. Despite its size, it’s a bold little predator.

Scientific Name: Megascops asio
Lifespan: 8–10 years
Size: 6–10 inches
Weight: 4–9 oz
Wingspan: 18–24 inches

4. Burrowing Owl

Unlike most owls, the Burrowing Owl is active during the day and nests underground in burrows. Found in western and southern Texas, especially in open grasslands, these owls are small and long-legged. They often bob their heads when alarmed and have bright yellow eyes. Burrowing Owls eat insects and small vertebrates, often spotted standing near burrow entrances or perched on low fences.

Scientific Name: Athene cunicularia
Lifespan: 6–10 years
Size: 7.5–10 inches
Weight: 5–8.5 oz
Wingspan: 20–24 inches

5. Western Screech Owl

The Western Screech Owl is rarely seen but often heard in the western parts of Texas. It prefers wooded canyons and deserts, calling out with a soft, rhythmic hoot. Slightly larger than the Eastern Screech Owl, it blends well with bark and hides in tree cavities during the day. At night, it hunts insects, lizards, and small rodents with sharp precision.

Scientific Name: Megascops kennicottii
Lifespan: 10–13 years
Size: 7.5–10 inches
Weight: 4–8 oz
Wingspan: 20–24 inches

Here are the next 5 owls found in Texas, with 70–80 word introductions and full identification details:

6. Barred Owl

The Barred Owl is a large, stocky bird known for its haunting “Who cooks for you?” call. Common in East Texas, it prefers mature forests near water. With dark eyes and vertical chest barring, it’s easy to distinguish from other large owls. Though mainly nocturnal, it may be active in the day. Barred Owls prey on small mammals, frogs, and even fish, using stealth and silence in dense woods.

Scientific Name: Strix varia
Lifespan: 10–18 years
Size: 16–25 inches
Weight: 1.1–2.5 lbs
Wingspan: 38–49 inches

7. Elf Owl

The Elf Owl is the smallest owl in Texas—and in the world. Standing only 5–6 inches tall, this tiny owl nests in old woodpecker holes, especially in desert canyons and dry forests of South and West Texas. Its call is a high-pitched chatter, and it feeds mostly on insects. Despite its size, the Elf Owl is feisty and active, often seen during spring and summer evenings.

Scientific Name: Micrathene whitneyi
Lifespan: 3–6 years
Size: 5–6 inches
Weight: 1.2–1.9 oz
Wingspan: 10–11 inches

8. Ferruginous Pygmy Owl

The Ferruginous Pygmy Owl is a compact, daytime hunter found in South Texas. It has reddish-brown feathers, a round head with no ear tufts, and two false “eye spots” on the back of its neck. These owls hunt insects, small lizards, and birds. Though small, they are aggressive and known to chase off much larger birds. Look for them in dry forests, mesquite thickets, and ranchlands.

Scientific Name: Glaucidium brasilianum
Lifespan: 6–8 years
Size: 6–7 inches
Weight: 2–3 oz
Wingspan: 14–16 inches

9. Long-eared Owl

Long-eared Owls are secretive and slender, with tall ear tufts and orange facial disks. They’re most often seen during the winter in Texas, roosting in dense woodlands. Their hoot is deep and low, and they’re usually detected by calls or droppings beneath roosting trees. These owls hunt mainly at night, flying low over grasslands to snatch rodents with sharp talons.

Scientific Name: Asio otus
Lifespan: 10–12 years
Size: 13–16 inches
Weight: 7.5–15 oz
Wingspan: 35–40 inches

10. Short-eared Owl

Unlike most owls, the Short-eared Owl is active during the day—especially at dawn and dusk. It’s found across open prairies and marshlands in Texas during winter. With rounded wings, short ear tufts, and a pale face, it flies in a buoyant, moth-like pattern. These owls nest on the ground and are often seen gliding over fields in search of mice and voles.

Scientific Name: Asio flammeus
Lifespan: 4–12 years
Size: 13–17 inches
Weight: 7–17 oz
Wingspan: 33–41 inches

11. Flammulated Owl

The Flammulated Owl is a tiny, secretive species that blends easily into pine and oak forests with its bark-colored plumage. It’s rarely seen in Texas, mostly during migration through western mountain regions. This owl has dark eyes, small size, and a soft, low-pitched hoot. Despite its small stature, it feeds on large insects like moths and beetles, often foraging at dusk in higher elevations or dense woods.

Scientific Name: Psiloscops flammeolus
Lifespan: 7–8 years
Size: 6–7 inches
Weight: 1.5–2.2 oz
Wingspan: 14–16 inches

12. Northern Saw-whet Owl

Tiny, round-headed, and big-eyed, the Northern Saw-whet Owl is a seldom-seen winter visitor to parts of East and North Texas. Its name comes from its sharp, repetitive call that sounds like a saw being sharpened. This owl prefers dense forests and hunts quietly for mice and small birds. Despite its secretive nature, it’s a favorite among birders lucky enough to spot it roosting in evergreens.

Scientific Name: Aegolius acadicus
Lifespan: 7–10 years
Size: 7–8.5 inches
Weight: 2.3–5.3 oz
Wingspan: 16–19 inches

13. Spotted Owl

The Spotted Owl is a rare and declining species that prefers old-growth forests and shaded canyons in West Texas. It has rich brown feathers with white spots, dark eyes, and a calm demeanor. Habitat loss has made this species harder to find. Spotted Owls hunt small mammals like woodrats and squirrels and are mostly nocturnal, often staying in the same territory for years if conditions are right.

Scientific Name: Strix occidentalis
Lifespan: 15–20 years
Size: 16–19 inches
Weight: 1–1.5 lbs
Wingspan: 39–43 inches

14. Northern Pygmy Owl

The Northern Pygmy Owl is a bold, tiny predator that hunts during the day. Though rarely seen in Texas, it may be spotted in far western mountain woodlands. Despite its small size, it takes down birds nearly its own size. It has a round head, yellow eyes, and “false eyes” on the back of its head. These owls perch quietly while waiting to ambush prey like insects, mice, and small birds.

Scientific Name: Glaucidium gnoma
Lifespan: 6–7 years
Size: 6–7 inches
Weight: 2–2.5 oz
Wingspan: 12–16 inches

15. Mottled Owl

A true tropical species, the Mottled Owl rarely reaches southern Texas and is more common in Mexico and Central America. When it does appear, it favors dense forests and woodlands near rivers. This medium-sized owl has a rounded head, dark eyes, and heavily streaked underparts. Its hoots are low and resonant, echoing through humid woods at night. Sightings are rare, making it a prized find for birdwatchers.

Scientific Name: Strix virgata
Lifespan: Unknown (estimated 10–12 years)
Size: 13–15 inches
Weight: 12–17 oz
Wingspan: 28–34 inches

16. Stygian Owl

The Stygian Owl is an extremely rare and mysterious visitor to Texas, with very few confirmed sightings in the southern tip of the state. This owl has striking dark plumage, long ear tufts, and vivid orange eyes. It prefers dense forests and hunts mainly at night, feeding on birds, bats, and small mammals. Its eerie call and shadowy appearance make it one of the least understood owls in North America.

Scientific Name: Asio stygius
Lifespan: Unknown (likely 10–15 years)
Size: 15–18 inches
Weight: 1–1.6 lbs
Wingspan: 30–38 inches

17. Mexican Spotted Owl

The Mexican Spotted Owl is a rare subspecies of the Spotted Owl, found in remote, mountainous forests of West Texas. It is lighter in color than its northern cousin and is recognized by its pale facial disk and chest spotting. This owl is federally listed as threatened due to habitat loss. It nests in rocky canyons and old-growth conifer forests and is highly territorial, often returning to the same nesting sites each year.