Owls in Indiana

One of the eight states comprising the Great Lake Region, Indiana has quite a few diverse landscapes, with hills, kettle lakes, sand dunes in the north, valleys, and rugged terrain with exposed bedrock in the south. 9 owls make their home in this state, including the ubiquitous Great Horned Owl, the rare Barn Owl, and the extremely adaptable Barred Owl.

As indicated above, the Barn Owl is becoming a bit of a rarity in Indiana with only 43 nests recorded in recent times. This is mainly due to a loss of the grassland habitats where these owls usually nest.

List of Owls in Indiana

Name	Average Size	Status	Where Do They Live in the State	Mating Season
Small Owls
Northern Saw-whet Owl	Length: 7 – 8 inches Wingspan: 17-22 inches	Native	Common in forested areas of Indiana like Hoosier National Forest and Yellowwood State Forest	Spring (March to April)
Eastern Screech Owl	Length: 6-10 inches Wingspan: 18-24 inches	Native	Permanent residents commonly seen throughout the entire state, with sightings in Brown County State Park and Indiana Dunes National Park	From late winter to early spring (Between February and April)
Burrowing Owl	Length: 9-11 inches Wingspan: 21-24 inches	Accidental	Was once common but has become relatively rare in the state, with most sightings being those of vagrants	Late winter to early spring (February to August)
Large Owls
Barn Owl	Length: 12-16 inches Wingspan: 42-43 inches	Native	Very common in southern Indiana in places like Wabashiki Fish and Wildlife Area and Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge	Year-round, with peaks in late winter and spring (March to June)
Great Horned Owl	Length: 18-25 inches Wingspan: 40-60 inches	Native	Extremely common throughout the state, especially in the western part of the state in places like Prophetstown State Park	Late fall to early winter (November to January)
Barred Owl	Length: 16-24 inches Wingspan: 16-24 inches	Native	While probably the most common owl in Indiana, most Barred Owl sightings take place in the northeastern part of the state, including towns like Geneva	Late winter to spring (February to April)
Short-eared Owl	Length: 13-17 inches Wingspan: 33-43 inches	Native	Common in the southern part of the state, with sightings taking place in towns like Columbia, Elberfield, and Hart	Varies, often in early spring (March to June, peaking in April)
Snowy Owl	Length: 20-27 inches Wingspan: 49-58 inches	Native	Fairly common during winter in northern Indiana, around Lake Michigan	Varies by region and based on prey availability (any time between May and September)
Long-eared Owl	Length: 13-16 inches Wingspan: 24-40 inches	Native	Lives in forests and woodlands throughout the state in places like Turkey Run and Shades State Park	From late winter to early spring (around February to April)