Owls of California
14 owls recorded in California on the eBird network and profiled in the Birbs encyclopedia — the full list, with photos, sounds and ID notes, plus what's near you now.
14 owls have been recorded in California on eBird, the global citizen-science database run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and carry a full profile in the Birbs encyclopedia. Every bird below is a member of this group — the families Strigidae & Tytonidae. Start with the well-known species, browse the complete list, then check which are being reported near you right now.
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Owls of California to know first
American Barn OwlTyto furcata
Barred OwlStrix varia
Burrowing OwlAthene cunicularia
Elf OwlMicrathene whitneyi
Flammulated OwlPsiloscops flammeolus
Great Grey OwlStrix nebulosa
Great Horned OwlBubo virginianus
Long-eared OwlAsio otus
Mountain Pygmy OwlGlaucidium gnoma
Northern Saw-whet OwlAegolius acadicus
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
Snowy OwlBubo scandiacus
Spotted OwlStrix occidentalis
Western Screech OwlMegascops kennicottii
Keep exploring
- Birds of California
- Ducks, Geese & Swans of California (74 species)
- Sandpipers & Allies of California (52 species)
- New World Warblers of California (48 species)
- Parrots, Cockatoos & Allies of California (46 species)
- Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of California (43 species)
- New World Sparrows of California (32 species)
- Tyrant Flycatchers of California (32 species)
- True Finches of California (30 species)
- Waxbills & Munias of California (26 species)
- Petrels & Shearwaters of California (24 species)
- New World Blackbirds & Orioles of California (23 species)
- Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of California (23 species)
- Hawks, Eagles & Kites of California (22 species)
- Woodpeckers of California (18 species)
Owls in other regions
- Owls of Indonesia (54 species)
- Owls of India (36 species)
- Owls of Peru (31 species)
- Owls of Mexico (30 species)
- Owls of Ecuador (29 species)
- Owls of Colombia (28 species)
- Owls of the Philippines (24 species)
- Owls of the United States (24 species)
- Owls of Argentina (22 species)
- Owls of Malaysia (22 species)
- Owls of Brazil (21 species)
- Owls of Thailand (21 species)
Species and counts come from the eBird network; "recorded" means reported by birders to eBird. Family grouping follows the IOC World Bird List. Tap any bird for its full profile.
Frequently asked questions
How many owls are found in California?
14 owls that we profile appear on California's eBird-reported checklist. The full A–Z list is on this page; the real total can shift as eBird records are added.
Are all of these owls really found there?
Yes — each one is on California's eBird checklist (reported by birders to the Cornell Lab's eBird), and each of these owls belongs to the family group named on this page. We don't rank them by abundance, because that varies by season and locale.
Where can I see owls in California right now?
Use Birds Near You for live, location-based reports, or turn on rare-bird alerts to hear when a notable one shows up close to you.