The Barn Owl is a medium sized owl with no ear-tufts and a heart-shaped face. These pale, nearly worldwide birds are closely associated with man through their traditional use of barn lofts and church steeples as nesting sites. The species name "alba" refers to the colour white.
Ghostly pale and 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.
Males: great variety in plumage (feather coloring), chest and belly range in color from white to buff to light brown; back is usually rusty brown with some barring and spotting
Females: often darker plumage than males
Young: white to pale gray or buff (similar to adults)
OTHER NAMES:
Barn Owl, Cave Owl, Death Owl, Ghost Owl, Golden Owl, Monkey-faced Owl, Night Owl, Screech Owl, Silver Owl, White Owl
BARN OWL SIZE:
Height: Males 32 - 40 cm (13 - 16 in), Females 32 - 40 cm (13 - 16 in)
Weight: Males 440 - 510 g (1.0 lbs), Females 510 - 625 g (1.2 lbs)
Wingspan: Males 100 - 125 cm (39 - 49 in), Females 100 - 125 cm (39 - 49 in)
BARN OWL RANGE:
In North America found in parts of British Columbia, most of the U.S., and into Mexico and the Caribbean, worldwide
BARN OWL HABITAT:
Diverse habitats; prefers open land with some trees, roosts and nests in barns, buildings, cliffs, and trees
BARN OWL DIET:
Almost exclusively small mammals like voles, mice, and rats; occasionally birds; rarely reptiles, amphibians, and arthropods.
BARN OWL NESTING:
Nest Site: usually a cavity nester; also nests in cliffs, banks, caves, buildings, nestboxes, or abandoned nests of other birds
Eggs: usually 4-7 (sometimes up to 16) dull-white, elongated eggs, laid asynchronously every 2-3 days
Incubation: 29-35 days
BARN OWL HUNTING HABITS:
Typically nocturnal; hunts mostly by low quartering flight over open habitats, occasionally from perch. Detects prey using excellent hearing and low-light vision.
Barn Owls, on the other hand, are strictly nocturnal, earning them the nicknames Night Owl, Ghost Owl, and even Death Owl.
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