Alllllll!â The last note rises into an amazing inflection that can only mean one thing â a barred owl. The barred owl is not native to Washington state, but it can still play a valuable role in managing rodents in your forests. Photo courtesy Gregg Thompson Strix varia is a medium to large owl that resides in the forests of Washington, Oregon, north Idaho, British Columbia and parts of California. They are very widespread, occurring in all but the high-elevation forest types. They do well in second- and third-growth forests, and are an often observed, relatively common species, particularly in western Washington. They will even live in towns!