Barred 0wl 9x12 on 140 lb paper. The barred owl (*Strix varia*) is a large, stocky owl native to North America, measuring roughly 17–20 inches in length with a wingspan that can stretch up to 44 inches. Its plumage is a rich mix of brown and white, with distinctive horizontal bars across the upper chest and vertical streaks running down the belly — the pattern that gives the bird its name. Unlike many owls, it has deep, soulful brown eyes rather than yellow ones, set in a rounded head with no ear tufts, giving it a soft, almost gentle expression. It favors dense, mature forests, often near water, where it hunts at night for small mammals, frogs, and fish. The barred owl is perhaps best known for its loud, resonant call — a rhythmic hooting often described as sounding like "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?" — a sound that echoes through the woods and is one of the most recognizable bird calls in eastern North America.