The barn owl is making a comeback in Iowa, in rural and sometimes in urban areas, perhaps you've heard it's screech lately?
Iowa Department of Natural Resources wildlife expert Bruce Ehresman says he knows of 28 nesting boxes in Iowa, occupied by barn owls, compared to just 17 last year.
He says other types of owls are more common, but the barn owl, also called the spirit owl, is a favorite, because of it's big brown eyes and white face.
The barn owl is known for it's piercing scream, Ehresman says it can be as loud as a pig's squeal, and there are more than a dozen variations to that screech.
He says owls are active this time of years, as the young birds are leaving the nest.
Ehresman says many of the calls are coming from farmers finding owls nesting in their grain bins or silos. He said grain bins are perfect for nesting barn owls – the structure keeps invaders, like raccoons, out and keeps the young in, until they can fly. He says owls will nest on the floor of the bin or on top of any grain stored within it.
“What we have been telling farmers is that if they can wait for a week or two, the owls will likely fledge and the issue will resolve itself. Once the birds are gone, owners can close off the owl entry points to prevent them from again using the grain bin as a nesting site,” Ehresman said.