Barn Owl
Barn Owl Facts
| Size | 13-15 inches (33-39 cm) |
| Speed | Up to 50 mph (80 km/h) |
| Weight | 9-19 ounces (260-550 grams) |
| Lifespan | 4 years |
| Food | Small rodents, fish, birds |
| Predators | Owls, eagles, raccoons |
| Habitat | Worldwide (except rainforests and deserts) |
| Order | Owls |
| Family | Barn owls |
| Scientific name | Tyto alba |
| Characteristics | Bright owl with a white, heart-shaped face |
Main Characteristics
The barn owl features a light plumage, striking black eyes, and a unique heart-shaped face. Of all owl species, it is the most widespread in the world. It is found almost everywhere except for extremely hot or cold regions. Its call is a spooky, high-pitched screech that can be quite eerie.
Distribution and Habitat
The barn owl is the most widespread owl species, thanks to its remarkable adaptability. You can find them in nearly every part of the world, with the exception of thick rainforests, arid deserts, and frigid tundras. They tend to favor semi-open areas and often make their homes in old barns, beneath wooden bridges, and within observation towers. In Central Europe, they have even adapted to urban life, nesting in the towers of old churches.
Way of Life
Barn owls live a solitary life. They're most active at night.
Anatomy and Appearance
Size and Weight
A barn owl is roughly the size of a small cat. They typically measure 13-15 inches (33-39 cm) in body length, with a wingspan from 31-37 inches (80-95 cm). Their weight can vary from 9-19 ounces (260-550 grams).
Plumage
Barn owls feature a striking white coloration on their face, chest, and belly. In contrast, the upper parts of their back, wings, and tail display a beautiful golden brown hue, adorned with fine gray patterns.
Facial Disk
The barn owl has a heart-shaped facial disk. It collects and directs sounds toward their inner ears.
Tufted Ears
Unlike many other owls, the barn owl does not have tufted ears.
Diet
Barn owls are carnivores. They feed mainly on mice and rats. Sometimes they also eat frogs, small birds, bats, rabbits, fish or even insects. They swallow their prey whole and regurgitate anything they can't digest - such as fur and bones.
Behavior
Hunting Strategy
Barn owls are ambush predators. They enjoy perching on fences or posts, where they can quietly watch their environment. Once they detect small prey, they swoop down low to the ground and catch it with their sharp talons.
They Hunt More Mice Than Cats Do
Barn owls are far more effective at catching mice than any mousetrap or rat poison. In fact, they outpace even cats when it comes to hunting mice. These birds consume twice the amount of prey relative to their size compared to other owls. Over the course of a year, a single barn owl can eat 1,500-3,000 mice. Truly, they are incredible hunters!
Sounds
The barn owl produces a somewhat eerie, spooky sound. Its screams sound like a long, high-pitched screech.
Silent Flight
Air Turbulences Create Sounds
How do barn owls fly without making a sound? Typically, when a bird flaps its wings, it creates air turbulence that we can hear. The key to their silent flight lies in minimizing that turbulence. Try fanning yourself quickly with your hand near your ear. Do you notice any sound? That’s the noise produced by the disturbed air. It’s not very loud, but it’s definitely there. The barn owl has three physical characteristics that help it fly silently:
- 1. The surface of their wings is very soft - like a fluffy carpet that absorbs all sounds
- 2. The flight feathers are slightly frayed at the edges - this acts like a silencer.
- 3. The leading edge of the wing is serrated like a comb and also reduces air turbulence
Helpful for Bionics
Scientists find the barn owl's feathers fascinating because understanding its silent flight can lead to advancements that enhance our daily lives. This knowledge could help make airplanes and wind turbines operate more quietly. Interestingly, the practice of mimicking nature's strategies is known as bionics.
Senses and Abilities
Sense of Sight
Barn owls possess remarkable night vision, making them exceptional hunters after dark. Their eyes are twice as sensitive to light as those of humans, allowing them to see well in low-light conditions. Moreover, their vision is finely tuned to spot movement, which means that animals that remain still are harder for them to detect.
Sense of Hearing
Barn owls have excellent vision, but their hearing is even more remarkable. They navigate effortlessly, even in complete darkness. How do they manage that?
Location of the Ears
The ears of the barn owl are uniquely positioned, with one ear sitting a bit higher than the other. This asymmetry helps her pinpoint the direction of sounds more effectively. The lower ear is tuned to pick up noises from below, while the higher ear focuses on sounds coming from above.
Facial Disc
Its heart-shaped disc-like face acts like a satellite dish, capturing every sound, no matter how faint.
Life Expectancy
In the wild, barn owls live to be around 4 years old. The oldest ringed barn owl was 17 years and eleven months old.
Enemies and Threats
Natural Enemies
The biggest enemies of barn owls are eagle owls, hawks, buzzards, tawny owls and golden eagles. Raccoons and opossums steal the eggs from their nests.
Human Impact
The barn owl is facing challenges due to habitat loss in various regions. This is primarily because we humans are expanding our cities and settlements, as well as increasing livestock farming. Additionally, modern agricultural practices have led to a decrease in food sources for field mice and voles, which in turn means less food for the barn owl. Many of these owls also suffer from traffic accidents or fall victim to poisoning after consuming contaminated mice and rats.
Conservation Status
The barn owl is not an endangered species. According to a 2016 IUCN estimate, there are 4-10 million mature individuals worldwide.
Importance for the Ecosystem
Barn owls play a crucial role in the ecosystem. They help maintain the population of rodents, particularly mice. In fact, they can eliminate 1,500-3,000 mice annually, which is significantly more than what a cat would catch.
Reproduction
Mating Season
Barn owls start their mating season in February and continue until about April. When there’s an abundance of rodents, they may breed two to three times. In years with fewer rodents, they tend to skip breeding. Generally, barn owl pairs remain together for life, but if they are unable to have chicks, they may separate to find new partners.
Nest
Barn owls don’t create their own nests and tend to avoid tree hollows or rock crevices. Instead, they favor settling in places like church towers and barns.
Eggs
Barn owls typically lay between 2 to 12 eggs during each nesting period. This process occurs over several days, ensuring that the chicks do not all hatch simultaneously. The eggs are incubated for about 30 days before the adorable chicks emerge. By the time they are 13-15 weeks old, they become fully independent.
Fun Facts
Symbol
Barn owls hold various meanings across different cultures. In ancient Egypt, they were seen as omens of impending death. Meanwhile, in ancient Greece, the barn owl was regarded as a symbol of wisdom.
The Barn Owl Is Related to:
- Eastern Grass Owl
- Greater Sooty Owl
- Golden Masked Owl
Animals in the Same Biome:
- Beaver
- Black Rat
- Common Buzzard
- Eurasian Goshawk
- European Rabbit
- Golden Eagle
- Hamster
- Microbat
- Mouse
- Opossum
- Tawny Owl
- Raccoon
Sources:
- „Zip-lining owls reveal what really scares their prey“ (https://www.nature.com)
- „Barn Owl life expectancy“ (https://www.barnowltrust.org.uk)
- „Exploring the perceptual inabilities of Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius) using magic effects“ (https://www.pnas.org)
- „Spatial coding in the hippocampus and hyperpallium of flying owls“ (https://www.heronconservation.org)
- „Nocturnal camouflage through background matching against moonlight“ (https://www.pnas.org)
- „Largest barn owl (tytonid)“ (https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com)
- „Most widely distributed owl“ (https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com)
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