Owls don't have hands, but they can fluff the feathers around their ear holes to make a little funnel, just like your hand. The ear tufts that some owls have are NOT ears. They're just feathers that might scare away predators. The barred owls' sense of smell is probably not that strong. They even eat skunks.
Barred owls are often out at night, dawn or dusk, but can be seen during the day.
When hunting, they usually perch in a tree and watch and listen for prey. Their toes are special. Normally, two go forward and two go back. This helps them get a good grip on their prey. But they can turn a back toe forward if they want.