Barred Owl Cam Timeline

Review the main events, including nesting cycle milestones and other noteworthy incidents, in this historical timeline of the Barred Owl cam.

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The Barred Owls have returned to their nest box in Zionsville, Indiana, and the female just laid the first egg sometime in the early morning hours of March 9. Watch her unveil the egg at 2:30 AM when she greets her mate with some hoots at the nest box entrance.

After its sibling fledged with confidence last night, the youngest Barred Owl “Puff” decided to investigate the branches outside the nest box but got more than bargained for. Despite its best efforts to hang in there, the owlet accidentally “fludged” at 8:37 p.m. and was later seen climbing up a nearby tree. This behavior is typical for young owls, who will spend the next 6 weeks learning to fly and forage on their own while the adults feed and give them shelter. Thanks to our cam host and Wild Birds Unlimited CEO Jim Carpenter, our volunteers, and viewers for another great year with this Barred Owl family.

At day 34 post-hatch, watch the eldest owlet make a short, confident flight from the nest box perch to a nearby tree that is followed by a quick check in from one of the adults.

“Fluff” and “Puff” have been voted as the winning names for this delightful, downy duo from the 2019 Wild Birds Unlimited Barred Owl cam! We’d like to thank the nearly 4000 viewers who cast their vote to name this year’s owlets. It was the closest race yet. The winning monikers came in first place with 1351 votes—only two votes ahead of the second-place finishers “Owlivia” and “Hoodini” with 1349 votes. What a fantastic finish!

Two down—none to go! The second Barred Owl hatchling was revealed when the adult female made a quick trip from the nest box on the evening of April 4. Now that both chicks have hatched, the adults will be tasked with feeding their fast-growing chicks throughout the month-long nestling period. 

The WBU Barred Owl cam welcomed the first owlet of the 2019 season this morning after 33 days in the egg! The damp hatchling was first seen cupped in its eggshell at around 10:10 AM before it fully hatched about 5 minutes later. Watch the female tend to her new owlet and be sure to stay tuned for a hoot-filled conversation between the adults. Welcome to the world little owlet!

A second egg arrived on the evening of March 4! In the past we’ve seen these owls lay eggs between 2 to 4 days apart.

The Barred Owl breeding season has officially begun! On the evening of March 1, the female owl left the nest box to reveal what we’ve all been hoping for—a glistening white egg! Barred Owl clutch size ranges between 1 and 5 eggs, but we’ve observed the owls in this box systematically lay 3 eggs almost every year since the cam’s inaugural year in 2014.

Watch a pair of brown-and-white feathered forest dwellers work around the clock to raise fluffy owlets over the breeding season in these highlights from the fifth season of the Wild Birds Unlimited Barred Owl Cam!

The third and final Barred Owl chick has fledged! After 24 days in the nest box, the youngest owlet “Dock” made it official after taking its first short flight to a nearby tree yesterday evening. Watch the clip of Dock’s fledge captured by one of our keen-eyed volunteers. This marks the fifth consecutive season that the Barred Owls on cam have successfully hatched and fledged all of their young!

Dickory has fledged! At 31 days post-hatch, the second oldest owlet took its first leap into the wild world outside of the nest box in the evening hours of May 9. In this clip from the Barred Owl cam, watch Dickory clamber up a nearby tree shortly after making the jump. Cam host Jim Carpenter of Wild Birds Unlimited reports that Dickory is 15 feet up a tree in his backyard in the morning after fledge and that both parents are in the woods paying a lot of attention to their young

The oldest owlet has fledged and another has branched on the Barred Owl cam! Just after 8:00 PM yesterday, May 8, Hickory fledged while climbing around the perch in front of the nest box. Dickory, the second oldest owlet, eventually returned to the nest box. With owls, fledging and falling are often synonymous. Their flight abilities at “fledge” are not fully developed, and they spend time on the ground, clambering around branches, climbing trees, and being cared for by the parents for weeks after leaving the nest.

The polls have closed and the results are in! With 707 votes, cam viewers have chosen Hickory, Dickory, and Dock as the names for this years owlets on the Wild Birds Unlimited Barred Owl cam. Thanks to the over 2300 viewers who participated in this year’s contest, and good luck to the young owlets as they prepare to leave the nest box!  

All three owlets have now hatched from their eggs! Check out the third owlet’s first appearance on cam after hatching in the early morning hours of April 9.

Two down and one to go! After 32 days of incubation by the female, the second Barred Owl egg has hatched on April 8. The third and final egg should hatch any time in the next 72 hours.

After 32 days of incubation, the first egg hatched this morning on the Barred Owl cam! At 7:46 AM we got our first glimpse of a pinkish-white owlet tucked under the mother owl’s right wing as she was consuming some of the eggshell. Amazingly, the lay date (March 5) and hatch date (April 6) of this egg were the same as the owls’ first egg in 2017—now that’s what we call staying on schedule! 

And then there were three! Another egg appeared in the nest box on the Wild Birds Unlimited Barred Owl cam on March 9, marking the third breeding season in a row that 3 eggs have been laid at this location. For the next 4 weeks, the female will be tasked as the sole provider of incubation as the male hunts in the nearby forests and streams in search of prey to deliver his mate in the nest box.

A second egg was sighted in the Barred Owl nest in the early morning of March 7. If a third egg is on the way, expect to see it sometime within the next 2–4 days! 

The breeding season has begun on the Wild Birds Unlimited Barred Owl Cam! A pure white egg was spotted in the nest box for the first time in the early morning hours of Monday, March 5. Since 2014 when the cam went live, the Barred Owls nesting at this location have laid between 2 and 3 eggs each year; however, Barred Owl clutch size can range anywhere between 1–5 eggs.

Take a step back in time and relive the moments of the 2017 WBU Barred Owl cam. Watch the owls deliver prey of all types as they work to raise three owlets to fledging. 

After having spent 32 days in the nest box, the third and final owlet made the leap from the Barred Owl nest box to a nearby branch. All three nestlings have now entered the wild, where they’ll remain dependent on their parents for food until they reach 4–5 months of age. As their mobility and hunting skills improve, young Barred Owls slowly move away from their nest site, gain independence, and eventually disperse in search of their own territory.

The second Barred Owl nestling fledged at some point over the night on May 11 after having spent 33 days in the nest box. Now only the youngest owl remains in the box! 

The first owlet fledged from the nest box and entered the wild early this morning! It was spotted by our cam host in the woods away from the camera; the parents have seen seen hanging out near the box and tending to the recently fledged owlet. The adults will continue to provide food to their offspring for multiple weeks after they’ve left the nest box while the young owls hone their flying skills and learn to hunt.  

The names of the owlets on the 2017 Wild Birds Unlimited Barred Owl cam are in! “Sunflower, Millet, & Peanut” took the top spot with 1822 votes! Thanks to the over 4500 viewers who participated in naming the owlets.

Egg #3 has hatched! All three downy owlets were visible when the female made a quick trip out of the nest box this morning. For the next 4–5 weeks, the adults sole focus will be on brooding and feeding these young owlets until they grow large enough to explore life beyond the nest box.

The first visible pip on egg #2 was spotted late at night on April 7th, and the second chick fully emerged from its shell in the early morning of April 8th. Only one more to go! 

On April 6th around 9 P.M., the Barred Owl female left the nest box and revealed the first Barred Owl hatchling! The young chick, covered in white natal down, can be seen moving around the bottom of the nest box while the adults caterwaul in the distance. Assuming this was the egg that was laid on March 5th (the first of the clutch), it took 32 days for the chick to hatch—on the long side of a typical Barred Owl incubation period that ranges between 28–33 days. Keep watch as Egg #2 could hatch at any moment!

And one more makes three! March 9 marks the third confirmed egg laid by the female in the Barred Owl nest box.  

Three days after the first egg was spotted, the second egg is confirmed in the nest. 

As the female leaves the nest box, she reveals the first egg of the 2017 season! 

All three of the owlets on our Wild Birds Unlimited Barred Owl cam branched successfully from the nest box at the end of last week! Over 2300 viewers cast votes to name the owls, and the winning triad was “Rhyme, Reason, & Rebel.” Thanks to everyone who participated!

The last two owlets left the nest box area on May 12—the first launched itself purposely from the top of the box, while the second climbed the trunk above the box and disappeared from view. The cam host has spotted the two owls on site, and the female is still provisioning them. It’s likely the first-to-branch owlet is slightly farther away and will be found with subsequent searches.

At night the oldest owlet left the nest box and set out somewhat accidentally into the wide world. Barred Owls are among the earliest owls to leave the nest, and the owlets on our cam are ready to leave, only 33 days after hatching! It is normal for Barred Owls to fall to the ground while branching – the nest box is pretty high up so the oldest owlet likely fell safely onto an adjoining branch or climbed up a tree if it fell on the ground. 

We have a complete brood on the Barred Owls Cam as of April 10! We are looking forward to watching these fluffy chicks grow up.

A second Barred Owl chick emerged from its egg on April 9. One egg remains!

The first of three eggs hatched on Barred Owl cam on April 7. We expect the other two eggs to hatch in the following days.

A third egg was spotted in the Barred Owl nest on March 11. 

The female owl laid a second egg sometime during the night of March 7.

The Barred Owls welcomed their first egg of 2016 today, nearly 2 weeks earlier than last year.