Owl Houses

Screech owls prefer abandoned woodpecker holes at the edge of a field or neglected orchard. They will readily take to a box lined with an inch or two of wood shavings. If you clean the box out in late spring after the young owls have fledged, you may attract a second tenant--a kestrel. Trees isolated from larger tracts of woods have less chance of squirrels taking over the box.
The Barn Owl is found in virtually all habitats but much more abundantly in open woodland, forest edges and clearings, cultivated areas, cities and farms than forested country. They usually roost by day in tree hollows but have also been found in caves, wells, out-buildings or thick foliage.
Barred Owls prefer deep moist forests, wooded swamps and woodlands near waterways. Barred Owls nest in cavities and will also use abandoned Red-shouldered Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Squirrel or Crow nests.
Northern Saw-whet Owls inhabit coniferous and deciduous forests, with thickets of second-growth or shrubs. They occur mainly in forests with deciduous trees, where woodpeckers create cavities for nest sites. Breeding habitat is usually swampy or wet, rather than dry. Riparian habitat is often preferred.