150/150: Home is where the heart is for the Barred Owl

Animalia: Chordata: Aves: Strigiformes: Strigidae: Strix: Strix varia Barton, 1799

The Barred Owl is a member of the family Strigidae, the true owls, which it shares with almost all other extant owl species. It is also called the Hoot Owl due to its characteristic mating call. Like most owls, Barred Owls are silent when hunting and possess wing adaptions that enhance their ability to sneak up on prey. The Barred Owl mostly preys on small mammals and has occasionally been known to wade into water to fish for food within wetland habitats. The natural predator of the Barred Owl is the Great Horned Owl, however the majority of Barred Owl deaths are attributed to man-made causes. The Barred Owl is very territorial and has a home territory of ~700 acres on average, which it maintains throughout the year. It is a sedentary creature, rarely showing movement beyond 10 km when banded and returning to the same nest each year to lay its eggs. Barred Owl ranges have expanded westward in North America recently, which creates issues for conservation as it outcompetes the endangered Spotted Owl. The Barred Owl is also unique as it is our 150^th post! Throughout this year, we have created 150 posts about Canada’s wildlife to celebrate Canada’s 150^th anniversary and highlight Canadian biodiversity. Happy anniversary Canada! #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

Here’s the barcode sequence information for this species:

Process ID: KBNA479-04

nucleotide sequence

CCTTTATCTANTNTTCGGCACATGAGCCGGTATAGTTGGCACCGCCCTTAGCCTGCTCATCCGAGCCGAACTGGGTCAACCCGGGACACTCCTAGGCGACGACCAAATCTATAATGTAATCGTCACCGCCCATGCCTTTGTAATAATTTTCTTTATGGTCATGCCAATCATGATCGGAGGATTTGGAAACTGGCTAGTTCCGCTAATAATCGGAGCCCCAGACATGGCCTTCCCCCGTATGAACAACATAAGCTTCTGACTTCTCCCACCCTCATTCCTACTCCTGCTAGCCTCCTCTACAGTAGAAGCCGGAGCAGGTACCGGGTGAACTGTCTACCCCCCACTAGCCAGCAACCTAGCCCACGCTGGAGCCTCAGTAGACCTGGCCATTTTCTCTCTCCACCTAGCAGGGGTATCCTCCATCCTCGGGGCAATCAACTTTATTACCACCGCTATTAACATAAAACCCCCATCCCTATCACAGTACCAAACCCCCCTGTTTGTTTGATCTGTTCTCATCACCGCCATTCTCCTACTCCTATCGCTCCCAGTCCTCGCTGCAGGCATCACCATACTACTAACTGACCGCAACCTAAACACTACATTCTTCGACCCTGCTGGCGGAGGCGACCCAGTCCTGTATCAGCACCTCTTTTGATTCTTCGGACACCCCGAAGTCTACATCCTTATCCTG

amino acid sequence

LYLXFGTWAGMVGTALSLLIRAELGQPGTLLGDDQIYNVIVTAHAFVMIFFMVMPIMIGGFGNWLVPLMIGAPDMAFPRMNNMSFWLLPPSFLLLLASSTVEAGAGTGWTVYPPLASNLAHAGASVDLAIFSLHLAGVSSILGAINFITTAINMKPPSLSQYQTPLFVWSVLITAILLLLSLPVLAAGITMLLTDRNLNTTFFDPAGGGDPVLYQHLFWFFGHPEVYILIL

Learn more about it’s BIN (Barcode Index Number): BOLD:AAD8089