The barred owl (Strix varia), also known as the northern barred owl, the striped owl or the hoot owl, is a bird in the family Strigidae, the true owls. It is largely native to eastern North America, but has also expanded its range to the continent's west coast, where it is considered an invasive species. Its preferred habitat is mature forest, but it can also acclimate to various gradients of open woodlands. The barred owl's diet consists mainly of small mammals, but this species is an opportunistic predator and is known to prey upon other small vertebrates such as birds, reptiles and amphibians, as well as a variety of invertebrates. Barred owls are brown to gray overall, with dark striping on the underside. This barred owl was photographed in Whitby in Ontario, Canada.Photograph credit: Mdf