The Common Barn Owl
The Common Barn Owl is sometimes called the "monkey-faced owl" because of its white, heart-shaped face and dark eyes. As it can locate a mouse by sound and catch it in the dark, it can keep a barn or structure free of mice better than most cats.
The Barn Owl in Flight
Description
The Barn Owl is a medium-size owl measuring 13 to 20 inches in height with a wingspan of 2 ½ to 3 feet. It is readily distinguished from other owls by its heart shaped facial-ruff. The ruff is white rimmed with tan and completely encircles the eyes and beak. Ear tufts are non-existent. It is primarily a white bird with shades of buff and yellow on its head and back. The chest and belly are white. The legs are long and bare. The eyes of an owl are in a fixed position and cannot move from side to side. To see, they turn their whole head. Contrary to popular belief, they cannot rotate their heads 360 degrees. They can rotate it 270 degrees which is still better than man. We can barely turn ours 180 degrees.
Range and Habitat
The Common Barn Owl can be found on every continent except Antarctica. They are primarily found in the middle latitudes avoiding the extreme heat of the desert and the bitter cold in the north.They inhabit the grasslands relying on open fields and the edge of woods for hunting. They avoid densely forested areas, high elevations and extensively cultivated farmlands.
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Mating and Nesting Habits
Barn Owls are cavity nesters. They will build their nests in man-made structures such as buildings, church steeples, and nest boxes. They are prolific breeders, usually hatching two broods each year. A typical clutch consists of 3 to 6 eggs, and are incubated for 29 to 34 days. The owlets fledge between 56 and 62 days but remain dependent on their parents for another two months. The female usually lays a second clutch before the owlets from the first brood fledge. The Barn Owl is primarily nocturnal, hunting and feeding at night.
Feeding Habits
The Barn Owl's diet is predominantly mice, rates, voles and gophers. On occasion it will snatch a fish out of the water, or a bird from the sky. When hunting, it flies low to the ground and dives onto its prey with talons extended. Extremely good at hearing, the Barn Owl can catch its prey in total darkness. It is a nocturnal creature but will occasionally hunt during daylight hours.Its prey is torn apart and completely consumed. What it cannot digest is packed into pellets and spit-up.
The Common Barn Owl
Birds in Flight
Flight
Owls
Owls of the United States and Canada: A Complete Guide to Their Biology and Behavior
Amazon Price: $33.96 (as of 08/21/2008)
The Barn Owl (Animal Lives)
Amazon Price: $4.95 (as of 08/21/2008)
Barn Owls (Nature Watch)
Amazon Price: (as of 08/21/2008)
Raptors of Western North America: The Wheeler Guides
Amazon Price: $19.77 (as of 08/21/2008)
Voice
At close range, the Barn Owl's cry is an ear-shattering shree! When cornered, it will hiss like a snake. Interesting Trivia
1. The Barn Owl doesn't hoot, it hisses.2. Due to its coloring, the Barn Owl is often referred to as the "golden owl."
3. The Barn Owl can live up to 17 years of age.
Elizabeth's Websites
- South Carolina Birder
- Information blog on wild birds, bird watching, and creating a backyard bird sanctuary.
- Elizabeth Jean Allen, Author Page
- Elizabeth Jean Allen grew up in rural Minnesota, but has spent most of her adult life on the shores of South Carolina. She currently resides in Charleston, SC with her husband Chris and their two sons, Charles and Gregory. She spends the bulk of the year teaching high school science, and spends what little free time she has, reading, writing, and studying the birds.
Don't forget the Birds!
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Busy Lizzy's Aquatic Birds
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Aquatic birds live on or near bodies of water. They acquire their food from the water, the shorelines, or animals within the same region. They include seabirds, such as gulls, pelicans, albatrosses, and ducks, swans and geese.
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Busy Lizzy's Birds of Prey
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Birds of Prey or Raptors are birds that usually hunt on the wing. They use their keen sense of sight to spot prey, swoop down, and capture it. They usually have large, powerful beaks and talons for tearing and piercing the flesh of their prey.
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Buzy Lizzy's Lenses
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Before I sat down to create this lensography, I took a look at my list of lenses. They are as varied as the students in my classroom. Can one be passionate about so many different things? I say yes. My passion is writing, but I am first and foremost...
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Popular Bird Blogs
Resources used to construct this page
Peterson, T.P. & Peterson, V.M. 2002. Birds of Eastern and Central North America, Fifth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, N.Y.
Carolina Raptor Center
Western North Carolina Nature Center
University of Minnesota Raptor Center
Barn Owl-Tyto alba
