Barred owl makes for exciting guest at Aspinwall home

Terry Nelson Taylor’s newest neighbor along Eastern Avenue in Aspinwall is making quite a ruckus.

“It has caused a great sensation in the neighborhood,” Taylor said of the barred owl, which has taken up residence in the tree next to her house.

“He seems to hoot at all hours.”

Barred owls, also known as the northern barred owl or striped owl, usually blend in with their surroundings.

Not this bird, Taylor said. It has nested about two and a half stories up in her tree and is making himself known.

When a barred owl is seen during the day, it usually means it’s roosting, according to experts at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve in Fox Chapel.

“They are a great thing to see, especially because of the way they blend in with the tree bark,” said Rachel Handel, Beechwood communications director. “It’s great camouflage.”

While the owls are year-round residents of Western Pennsylvania, Handel was excited to hear about the bird’s residence in Aspinwall.

She said the owls, which measure up to 2-feet tall and weigh up to 2 pounds, are typically most active at night.

And, they are typically easier to hear than to see.

“They have a distinct call,” she said. “It sounds like ‘Who cooks for you?’”