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Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
Range
North and South America, Europe, western Russia, Africa, Southern Asia
and Australia. Introduced on the Hawaiian Islands, Lord Howe Island, and
New Zealand. Found in open country, savanna, farmland, and city
habitats.
Size
Small crow sized owl.
Length: Different species range in total length from 27 - 53 cm
Wingspan: 76 cm
Weight: 430-470 g
Diet
Main food is small nocturnal rodents. They have been recorded to eat
rats, small rabbits, sparrows, bats, frogs, large insects and even fish.
Description
Barn owls are typified by heart-shaped facial discs, relatively small,
uniformly dark eyes, long slender legs covered with narrow feathers,
bristled feet, a comb-like middle claw and, without exception, no ear
tufts. Their upperparts are orange-buff, spotted with dark grey and
white. The face is white and the underparts are white, sometimes
speckled with a few black spots and an occasional tinge on the breast.
Females are bigger and greyer on the upperparts. The beak is very pale
yellow and the eyes and claws are black.
Natural History
In an evolutionary sense, the barn owls are a relatively recent member
of the Strigiformes. The fossil evidence suggests that they probably had
their origin sometime during the Miocene period over 12 million years
ago. They reportedly have the best hearing of any animal. They are very
nocturnal and hunt most of their prey using only their hearing. Their
voice is a raspy, hissing screech and they roost and nest in dark
cavities in city and farm buildings, cliffs, and trees. They usually
roost singly or in pairs, but small groups roosting together have been
recorded. Although no nest is built, the owl's castings often form a
compact surround for the eggs. The nest site is usually the floor of a
dark crevice or hollow, although old jackdaw nests are occasionally
used. Owls will also use artificial nests, such as baskets or barrels.
The eggs are pure white when first laid, but often become stained
yellowish. Usually, 3 - 7 eggs are laid, although one clutch was
recorded to have 11 eggs. Incubation is principally by the female and
the male feeds her throughout. The eggs hatch in 33 days and young
fledge in 9 - 12 weeks.
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