Best Time to See Owls in the US
April, May and March is the best time to see owls in the United States. This is a national picture built from 257,800 verified iNaturalist observations across 51 states, showing when and where owls are most active.
By Tim, founder of Easy Street Markets. I maintain the wildlife database and verify every animal and source myself.
257,800 verified observations of owls in the US, recorded across 12 months of the year on iNaturalist.
When owls are recorded in the US
Peak month
April
31,417 records (12.2% of the year)
| Month | Observations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| January | 24,518 | 9.5% |
| February | 22,417 | 8.7% |
| Marchpeak | 24,699 | 9.6% |
| Aprilpeak | 31,417 | 12.2% |
| Maypeak | 30,799 | 11.9% |
| June | 24,056 | 9.3% |
| July | 18,363 | 7.1% |
| August | 15,904 | 6.2% |
| September | 14,838 | 5.8% |
| October | 15,090 | 5.9% |
| November | 16,017 | 6.2% |
| December | 19,682 | 7.6% |
Owls you are most likely to see
| Species | Verified observations |
|---|---|
| Great Horned Owl | 68,675 |
| Barred Owl | 58,268 |
| Eastern Screech-Owl | 18,841 |
| Burrowing Owl | 17,360 |
| American Barn Owl | 10,912 |
| Short-eared Owl | 5,904 |
| Western Screech-Owl | 5,511 |
| Snowy Owl | 4,653 |
Across the country, owls sightings peak in April, when 31,417 of the 257,800 annual observations are logged, about 12.2% of the national total. Nationwide activity stays high through April, May and March.
The best states to see owls by recorded sightings are Canada (46,853), California (46,797), Texas (25,085), Florida (15,382) and Washington (8,614). Each state page below breaks the year down month by month for that state.
The owls you are most likely to encounter nationwide are Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl and Eastern Screech-Owl, the most-recorded species across all states combined.
Best states to see owls
- owls in Canada46,853 sightings, peak January
- owls in California46,797 sightings, peak May
- owls in Texas25,085 sightings, peak April
- owls in Florida15,382 sightings, peak April
- owls in Washington8,614 sightings, peak June
- owls in Arizona7,515 sightings, peak May
- owls in Oregon7,224 sightings, peak May
- owls in Massachusetts6,245 sightings, peak May
- owls in Ohio6,089 sightings, peak May
- owls in New York5,552 sightings, peak January
- owls in Minnesota5,353 sightings, peak February
- owls in Colorado5,284 sightings, peak May
- owls in North Carolina4,727 sightings, peak April
- owls in Virginia4,530 sightings, peak April
- owls in Illinois4,215 sightings, peak April
Most-recorded owls species nationwide
- Great Horned Owl68,675 records
- Barred Owl58,268 records
- Eastern Screech-Owl18,841 records
- Burrowing Owl17,360 records
- American Barn Owl10,912 records
- Short-eared Owl5,904 records
Gear to see them
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see owls in the US?+
April is the single best month nationwide, with the broader peak running through April, May and March, based on 257,800 verified observations across 51 states.
Which states are best for seeing owls?+
By recorded sightings, the top states are Canada, California and Texas. Canada leads with 46,853 verified observations.
How many owls sightings are recorded in the US each year?+
About 257,800 verified owls observations are logged on iNaturalist across 51 states with enough data to chart a seasonal pattern.
What kinds of owls live in the US?+
The most-recorded species nationwide are Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl and Eastern Screech-Owl, based on all-time iNaturalist counts.
See owls by species
Full owls guides by state