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The barn owl is the most widespread landbird species in the world, occurring on every continent except Antarctica. Its range includes all of Europe (except Fennoscandia and Malta), most of Africa apart from the Sahara, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Australia, many Pacific Islands, and North-, Central-, and South America.
What are the types of Barn owls?
- Western Screech-owl. The Western Screech-owl is also very common in California and west of the Rockies. ...
- Burrowing Owl. Burrowing Owls inhabit dry open areas in most of California, and the Western Hemisphere for that matter.
- Great Grey Owl. ...
- Short-eared Owl. ...
- Northern Spotted Owl. ...
- Long-eared Owl. ...
- Northern Pygmy Owl. ...
- Flammulated Owl. ...
What are some good names for barn owls?
Scientific Names for Barn Owls
- Tyto capensis capensis
- Tyto capensis cameroonensis
- Tyto capensis damarensis
- Tyto capensis liberatus.
- Tyto novaehollandiae manusi
- Tyto novaehollandiae sororcula
- Tyto novaehollandiae castanops
- Tyto nigrobrunnea – Black-brown barn owl or Taglabu
- Tyto rosenbergii – Sulawesian barn owl
- Tyto sororcula – Small barn owl
What is the hunting strategy of a barn owl?
What is the hunting strategy of a barn owl? Barn Owls often hunt on the edges of woodlands, scouting for food from a perch or while in low, slow flight. As soon as they see or hear prey, they swoop down to catch it, or dive onto it with their talons extended. Barn Owl Moving Its Head When Targeting Prey – Related Questions What is owl poop?
What is the lifespan of a barn owl?
What is the lifespan of a barn owl? Once the young hatch, it takes them 50 to 70 days to learn to fly. The young will reach independence about a month after their first flight. Their average lifespan is only two to four years, though barn owls have been known to live as long as 34 years.
How far do barn owls range?
In the United States, dispersal is typically over distances of 80 and 320 km (50 and 199 mi), with the most travelled individuals ending up some 1,760 km (1,094 mi) from their points of origin.
How big is an owls territory?
2-5 square milesThey will swoop down to catch their prey with powerful feet and talons. Territories. The territory for a mated pairs may range 1/3 of a mile to 2-5 square miles. Some ornithologists (scientists who study birds) believe that owls form permanent pair-bonds.
How far do owls travel?
Birds in This Story Northern Saw-whet Owls can travel long distances over large bodies of water. One showed up 70 miles from shore near Montauk, New York.
Where are barn owls found?
Barn Owls are the most widespread of all the owls and one of the most cosmopolitan birds around. They can be found living in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and Australia.
Do owls stay in the same area?
Owls generally keep the same nesting site in both summer and winter months and this can often last for around 8 consecutive years with the same mate. The benefits of having the same mate means that they can guard a territory together for a long period of time. Most owls do not migrate aside from the odd exception.
Do barn owls hunt in the same place?
The area in which a Barn Owl lives is called its 'home range'. We don't use the word 'territory' because, unlike some other bird species, such as Tawny Owls, Barn Owls don't try to defend the area from others of their own species. A home range is very simply the area that they use for hunting, roosting and breeding.
Do owls return to the same place every year?
Owls will generally try to reoccupy the same nesting territories in consecutive years. Owls lay between one and thirteen eggs, depending on the species and also on the particular season; for most, however, three or four is the more common number.
Do owls have a territory?
Keep in mind: When owls are nesting, they're very territorial. If an owl swoops down near you, they're just focused on mating and nesting—and will chase away intruders while hooting loudly.
What does it mean when you hear two owls late at night?
What does it mean when you hear 2 owls? Seeing two owls means that you're about to receive an important spiritual message. Those special birds are bringing a time of change and telling us that we're ready for some adjusting.
How rare is it to see a Barn Owl?
How many barn owls are there? There are an estimated 4,000 pairs in the UK, with 110-220,000 pairs in Europe.
What eats a Barn Owl?
Barn owls in western Europe are much smaller than those in North America. These owls are sometimes killed by golden eagles, red kites, goshawks, buzzards, peregrine falcons, lanners, eagle owls and tawny owls.
Are Barn Owls friendly?
Owls Don't Cuddle Even though owls are often depicted as wise, gentle souls, they're not ones to show or accept affection from those outside their brood. Their sharp talons mean special gloves are required to handle them, and even those don't eliminate the threat of suffering a dangerous cut.
What are owls afraid of?
Owls typically avoid any sort of contact with a human being. If you find out that an owl is lurking somewhere around your property, make noises. Yelling, shouting, and clapping is what owls are afraid of. Increasing human activities in the presence of owls can make them go away.
What is a group of owls called?
parliamentOwls / Collective noun“Did you know that a group of owls is called a 'parliament'?” “Did you know that a group of jellyfish is called a 'smack'?” “Did you know that a group of Indonesian mountain weasels is called a 'bubble gum'?”
Do owls live in groups?
They can be found roosting singly or in pairs or family groups, but may form flocks outside of the breeding season (A group of Owls is called a parliament). An Owl's daily activity begins with preening, stretching, yawning and combing its head with its claws.
What is an owls habitat?
Owls live in a variety of habitats, including coniferous forests, mountains, deserts, and plains. The snowy owl lives in the cold tundra of the north. Owls nest in a variety of ways. Several species, such as great gray and great horned owls, live in old hawk or squirrel nests.
What is the scientific name for a barn owl?
As more species of owl were described, the genus Strix came to refer solely to the wood owls in the typical-owl family Strigidae; and the barn owl became Tyto alba in the barn-owl family Tytonidae.
How big are barn owls?
The barn owl is a medium-sized, pale-coloured owl with long wings and a short, squarish tail. There is considerable size variation across the subspecies, with a typical specimen measuring about 33 to 39 cm (13 to 15 in) in overall length, the length ranging from 29 to 44 cm (11 to 17 in). Barn owls have a typical wingspan of some 80 to 95 cm (31 to 37 in), with an extreme range of from 68 to 105 cm (27 to 41 in). Adult body mass is also variable, with male owls from the Galapagos ( T. a. punctatissima) weighing approximately 260 g (9.2 oz) on average, while male eastern barn owls ( T. javanica) average 555 g (19.6 oz), the weight of all barn owls ranging from 224 to 710 g (7.9 to 25.0 oz). Female barn owls are larger than males, with a strong female T. alba of a large subspecies weighing over 550 grams (19 oz). In general, owls living on small islands are smaller and lighter, perhaps because they have a higher dependence on insect prey and need to be more manoeuvrable, an exception being the largest-bodied race of barn owl, T. a. furcata, from Cuba and Jamaica, which is also an island race, albeit being found on sizeable islands with larger prey available and few larger owls competing for dietary resources. The shape of the tail is a means of distinguishing the barn owl from typical owls when seen in the air. Other distinguishing features are the undulating flight pattern and the dangling, feathered legs. The pale face with its heart shape and black eyes give the flying bird a distinctive appearance, like a flat mask with oversized, oblique black eye-slits, the ridge of feathers above the beak somewhat resembling a nose.
What is the most widely distributed species of owl?
Strix alba Scopoli, 1769. Strix pratincola Bonaparte, 1838. Tyto delicatula Gould, 1837. The barn owl ( Tyto alba) is the most widely distributed species of owl in the world and one of the most widespread of all species of birds, being found almost everywhere in the world except for the polar and desert regions, Asia north of the Himalayas, ...
Why do conservationists install nest boxes?
Conservationists encourage farmers and landowners to install nest boxes by pointing out that the resultant increased barn owl population would provide natural rodent control. The nest boxes are placed under the eaves of buildings and in other locations. The upper bound of the number of barn owl pairs depends on the abundance of food at nesting sites.
How much does a barn owl weigh?
Adult body mass is also variable, with male owls from the Galapagos ( T. a. punctatissima) weighing approximately 260 g (9.2 oz) on average, while male eastern barn owls ( T. javanica) average 555 g (19.6 oz), the weight of all barn owls ranging from 224 to 710 g (7.9 to 25.0 oz).
Why do barn owls use nest boxes?
Nest boxes are used primarily when populations suffer declines. Although such declines have many causes, among them are the lack of available natural nesting sites. Early successes among conservationists have led to the widespread provision of nest boxes, which has become the most used form of population management. The barn owl accepts the provided nest boxes and sometimes prefers them to natural sites.
How old are barn owls when they breed?
Females are ready to breed at ten to eleven months of age. Barn owls are usually monogamous, sticking to one partner for life unless one of a pair dies. During the non-breeding season they may roost separately; but as the breeding season approaches, they return to their established nesting site, showing considerable site fidelity. In colder climates, in harsh weather, and where winter food supplies may be scarce, they may roost in farm buildings and in barns between hay bales; but they then run the risk that their selected nesting hole may be taken over by some other species. Single males may establish feeding territories, patrolling the hunting areas, occasionally stopping to hover, and perching on lofty eminences where they screech to attract a mate. Where a female has lost her mate but maintained her breeding site, she usually seems to attract a new spouse.
What is a barn owl?
Basic Description. Ghostly pale and normally strictly nocturnal, Barn Owls are silent predators of the night world. Lanky, with a whitish face, chest, and belly, and buffy upperparts, this owl roosts in hidden, quiet places during the day. By night, they hunt on buoyant wingbeats in open fields and meadows. You can find them by listening ...
Why are barn owls declining?
Despite a worldwide distribution, Barn Owls are declining in parts of their range due to habitat loss. Many people’s first sighting of a Barn Owl is while driving through open country at night—a flash of pale wings in the headlights is usually this species.
What is the largest owl in the world?
The North American form is the largest, weighing more than twice as much as the smallest race from the Galapagos Islands. Barn Owl females are somewhat showier than males. She has a more reddish and more heavily spotted chest. The spots may indicate the quality of the female.
How old is the oldest barn owl?
The oldest known North American Barn Owl lived in Ohio and was at least 15 years, 5 months old.
How to attract birds to nest?
Consider putting up a nest box to attract a breeding pair. Make sure you put it up well before breeding season. Attach a guard to keep predators from raiding eggs and young. Find out more about nest boxes on our Attract Birds pages. You'll find plans for building a nest box of the appropriate size on our All About Birdhouses site.
Do barn owls swallow bones?
Barn Owls swallow their prey whole—skin, bones, and all. About twice a day, they cough up pellets instead of passing all that material through their digestive tracts. The pellets make a great record of what the owls have eaten, and scientists study them to learn more about the owls and the ecosystems they live in.
What are barn owls called?
Their eerie calls and silent flight make barn owls very creepy. Humans have persecuted them for this, and they were viewed as a danger. These owls were called by a number of names reflecting this fear including demon owl, ghost owl, lich (corpse) owl, and death owl. Some native peoples believed these owls to be demons or bad omens, and the Tzeltal people of Mexico called them disease givers.
What are some interesting facts about barn owls?
Interesting Facts About the Barn Owl 1 Lovebirds – One of the most recognizable characteristics of these gorgeous avian predators is their heart-shaped facial disk. Unlike some other owl species with more rounded faces, barn owls have a distinctive heart-shaped face. This facial disk allows sound to be captured and directed to the bird’s ears. 2 Listen Closely – These birds have another trait, in addition to their uniquely shaped facial disk, aiding in their exquisite hearing ability. Instead of having perfectly (or nearly perfectly) symmetrical ears like most animals, owls have asymmetrical ears. This asymmetry allows these predators to pinpoint the exact location of a sound. 3 Light Touch – Flying silently is incredibly important for these hunters. They are able to fly quietly because their feathers are much softer than other birds. This does not come without its downfalls, and soft feathers are also less waterproof! 4 Loud and Proud – Unlike many other owl species, barn owls do not hoot! Instead, they produce intimidating hisses, drawn-out shrieks, and screams. These eerie noises also aided in their misidentification as ghosts.
What do barn owls use their hearing for?
Like many owls, barn owls use their acute hearing and sight to locate prey, and near silent flight to plunge down and capture their meal. Read on to learn about the barn owl. Beautiful barn owl on a tree branch. Barn owl in flight. His soft feathers make him a silent predator. Closeup of a barn owl's eyes.
Why are barn owls considered ghosts?
Description of the Barn Owl. These haunting owls have been mistaken for ghosts because of their light coloration and near-silent flight. Different subspecies in different regions have various colorations and sizes. Feather coloration can range anywhere from white, to buff, and gray.
What are the characteristics of a barn owl?
Unlike some other owl species with more rounded faces, barn owls have a distinctive heart-shaped face.
How long do barn owls incubate?
Before she lays eggs, the female will remain close to the nest and the male will provide food for her. She will lay five eggs on average, and incubate them for about one month.
Where do barn owls live?
Habitat of the Barn Owl. These birds are incredibly widely distributed. They are able to live in many different places because they can live in many different habitats. In general, they prefer living close to a water source, as prey tends to be more plentiful.
Distribution
Barn owls occur in all of Europe (except Fennoscandia and Malta), most of Africa apart from the Sahara, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Australia, many Pacific Islands, and North, Central, and South America.
Habits and Lifestyle
Barn owls are nocturnal birds that rely on their acute sense of hearing when hunting in complete darkness. They often become active shortly before dusk and can sometimes be seen during the day. In Britain, on various Pacific Islands and perhaps elsewhere, they sometimes hunt by day.
Diet and Nutrition
Barn owls are carnivores and most of their prey is terrestrial but bats and birds are also taken, as well as lizards, amphibians, and insects.
Mating Habits
Barn owls are usually monogamous, sticking to one partner for life unless one of the pair dies. Once a pair-bond has been formed, the male will make short flights at dusk around the nesting and roosting sites and then longer circuits to establish a home range.
Population
Barn owls are relatively common throughout most of their range and not considered globally threatened. However, locally severe declines from organochlorine (e.g., DDT) poisoning in the mid 20th century and rodenticides in the late 20th century have affected some populations, particularly in Europe and North America.
Where do barn owls nest?
Barn Owls nest and roost in cavities, abandoned barns and other buildings, and dense trees. At night, Barn Owls hunt by flying low, back and forth over open habitats, searching for small rodents primarily by sound. This opens in a new window. Barn Owls require large areas of open land over which to hunt.
What is the difference between a barn owl and a screech owl?
Larger than a screech-owl, but smaller than a Great Horned Owl. Barn Owls are pale overall with dark eyes. They have a mix of buff and gray on the head, back, and upperwings, and are white on the face, body, and underwings. When seen at night they can appear all white.
What is the flight style of owls?
These medium-sized owls have long, rounded wings and short tails, which combine with a buoyant, loping flight to give them a distinctive flight style. The legs are long and the head is smoothly rounded, without ear tufts.
What is the color of an owl?
Medium-sized owl with a white heart-shaped face. Gray and cinnamon above and white below, although some have cinnamon color ed and spotty chests.
Where do roosters nest?
Nests in holes in trees, cliff ledges and crevices, caves, burrows in river banks, barn lofts, church steeples, houses, and nest boxes. Nests and roosts in rock crevices, holes in trees, abandoned barns and other buildings, and dense trees.
Do barn owls hunt during the day?
During hard winters, or in times of food shortages, Barn Owls sometimes hunt during the day, often frequenting the same open country habitats used by Northern Harriers.
What is the Habitat of the Barn Owl?
Summarily, their habitat consists of grasslands, scrublands, groves, farms, fields, or towns. Barn owls can make their home in various types of sparse forests, semiarid shrubland, marshes, etc. Owls are also found in dense forests, but common barn owls usually avoid hunting in densely forested areas. They instead prefer the scantly covered edges of the forest (or farms), where their preferred meal is more readily available.
What color are barn owls?
The upper part of the body is light gray in most species. Some also have rich brown colors and all have black and white speckles. The heart-shaped face is bright white in color and with black eyes, with a ridge of feathers above the bill that looks like a nose. Like all owls, barn owls have serrated flight feathers.
What do barn owls eat?
Diet of Barn Owls. Barn owls primarily feed on small rodents, moles, voles, etc. You may be surprised to know that a breeding pair of barn owls raising their young can eat more than 1000 rodents per year! They also prey on small birds and bats, frogs, lizards, large insects, and occasionally even fish.
How many eggs do barn owls have?
The breeding season lasts from March to August, though they are most active in late March – early April. The broods can have 2 to 16 eggs. It is very common to find about 5 – 7 eggs in a single brood.
What is the scientific name for a barn owl?
The common barn owl’s scientific name literally means ‘white hooter’. Barn owls, or common barn owls (Tyto alba), are easily recognizable due to their distinct heart-shaped face and dark eyes. They are a part of the eponymous family of owls, barn owls, that is one of the two major families of owls. The barn owl’s habitat consists of many parts ...
How long is a barn owl?
Physical Description. The barn owl is a pale, long-legged, and long-winged owl. It is about 24 – 45 cm in length and has a wingspan of about 75 – 110 cm. The distinguishing feature from other types of owls, other than the heart-shaped face of the barn owls, is its tail shape.
Where do barn owls build their nests?
Barn owls build nests underground in burrows or holes in embankments. They also make their home in elevated nests or burrows of other birds, steeples, or barns. If the barn owl finds no nest or a suitable site to build one, it will make do with rubbish and debris heaps.
Overview
The barn owl (Tyto alba) is the most widely distributed species of owl in the world and one of the most widespread of all species of birds, being found almost everywhere except for the polar and desert regions, Asia north of the Himalayas, most of Indonesia, and some Pacific Islands. It is also known as the common barn owl, to distinguish it from the other species in its family, Tytonidae, which forms one of the two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical owls (Strigida…
Etymology
The barn owl was one of several species of bird first described in 1769 by the Tyrolean physician and naturalist Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in his Anni Historico-Naturales. He gave it the scientific name Strix alba. As more species of owl were described, the genus Strix (from the Greek στρίξ, strix, "owl") came to refer solely to the wood owls in the typical-owl family Strigidae; and the barn owl became Tyto alba in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. Tyto alba literally means 'white night owl', fro…
Description
The barn owl is a medium-sized, pale-coloured owl with long wings and a short, squarish tail. There is considerable size variation across the subspecies with a typical specimen measuring about 33 to 39 cm (13 to 15 in) in overall length, with a wingspan of some 80 to 95 cm (31 to 37 in). Adult body mass is also variable with male owls from the Galapagos weighing 260 g (9.2 oz) while mal…
Distribution
The barn owl is the most widespread landbird species in the world, occurring on every continent except Antarctica. Its range includes all of Europe (except Fennoscandia and Malta), most of Africa apart from the Sahara, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Australia, many Pacific Islands, and North-, Central-, and South America. In general, it is considered to be sedentary; and, in…
Taxonomy
The ashy-faced owl (T. glaucops) was for some time included in T. alba. Based on DNA evidence, König, Weick & Becking (2009) recognised the American barn owl (T. furcata) and the Curaçao barn owl (T. bargei) as separate species. They proposed that T. a. delicatula should be split off as a separate species, to be known as the eastern barn owl, which would include the subspecies T. d. delic…
Behaviour and ecology
Like most owls, the barn owl is nocturnal, relying on its acute sense of hearing when hunting in complete darkness. It often becomes active shortly before dusk but can sometimes be seen during the day when relocating from one roosting site to another. In Britain, on various Pacific Islands, and perhaps elsewhere, it sometimes hunts by day. The owl's daylight hunting may depend on whether it can avoid being mobbed by other birds during that time. In Britain, some bir…
Status and conservation
Barn owls are relatively common throughout most of their range and not considered globally threatened. If considered as a single global species, the barn owl is the second most widely distributed of all raptors, behind only the peregrine falcon. It is wider-ranging than the also somewhat cosmopolitan osprey. Furthermore, the barn owl is likely the most numerous of all raptors, with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimating, for all barn ow…
Bibliography
• Bruce, M. D. (1999). "Family Tytonidae (Barn-owls)". In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. (eds.). Handbook of Birds of the World Volume 5: Barn-owls to Hummingbirds. Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-84-87334-25-2.
• Ehrlich, Paul R.; Dobkin, David S.; Wheye, Darryl; Pimm, Stuart L. (1994). The Birdwatcher's Handbook: A Guide to the Natural History of the Birds of Britain and Europe. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-858407-0.