Boreal Owl Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesBoreal Owl
Adult (Tengmalm's)
Small owl with large square head and yellow eyes. Grayish white facial disc framed by dark border. Underparts are streaky.
© Christoph Moning / Macaulay LibraryBayern, May 08, 2010Adult (Richardson's)
Brown above with white spots on the back and tiny spots on the crown. Roosts in trees during the day.
© Anonymous / Macaulay LibraryMinnesota, February 09, 2018Adult
Usually hunts at night. A sit-and-wait predator that hunts from exposed perches for forest rodents and other small animals.
© Chris Wood / Macaulay LibraryMinnesota, February 03, 2013Not all videos have sound
Juvenile (Tengmalm's)
Juveniles lack the adult's back and crown spotting.
© Christoph Moning / Macaulay LibraryBayern, May 09, 2010Adult (Richardson's)
Roosts in aspen, birch, or conifer trees around 15–20 feet above the ground and sits close to the tree trunk.
© Tom Johnson / Macaulay LibraryOntario, February 19, 2010Adult
Hunts using keen hearing; sometimes plunges talons through snow to attack prey moving below.
© Chris Wood / Macaulay LibraryMinnesota, February 03, 2013Not all videos have sound
Adult (Richardson's)
Small square-headed owl with a spotted crown and a whitish facial disc.
© David McQuade / Macaulay LibraryMinnesota, February 16, 2018Habitat
Found in stands of spruce, aspen, poplar, birch, and fir in the boreal forest.
© Shayna Marchese / Macaulay LibraryMinnesota, February 18, 2018Similar SpeciesNorthern Saw-whet Owl
Adult
Northern Saw-whet Owls are slightly smaller than Boreal Owls, with a diffuse buff-brown margin around the face instead of Boreal's sharp dark border. Saw-whets have neat lines of white spots on the back, whereas Boreal is more evenly spotted across the back.
© Cameron Rutt / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, October 27, 2013Similar SpeciesNorthern Hawk Owl
Adult
Northern Hawk Owls are larger with a longer tail than Boreal Owls. Northern Hawk Owls have barred underparts while Boreal Owls have spotted underparts.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryAlaskaSimilar SpeciesWestern Screech-Owl
Adult
Western Screech-Owls have small but prominent ear tufts that Boreal Owls don't have. Western Screech-Owls have crisp streaking and barring on the chest and belly, unlike Boreal's blurry spots and streaks.
© Noel Zaugg / Macaulay LibraryUtah, May 07, 2017Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Owls(Order: Strigiformes, Family: Strigidae)
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