Barn Owl – Tyto alba
“The widespread nocturnal hunter with a distinctive screech”
The Barn owl is a medium sized nocturnal bird, about the size of a crow. Their bodies are reddish brown, speckled with gray markings on the wings. When seen at night, they can appear all white.
They are most recognizable for their white heart shaped facial disk and dark eyes. Their wingspan can stretch up to four feet, which is quite large for their body size. Male and female barn owls can be distinguished by their coloring. Males are typically lighter while females will have darker markings on the edge of their facial disk, their tails, and on their wings. Barn Owls have a very distinctive flight style that is often described as “lofty” or “buoyant”. Due to their large wings, they can fly very smoothly and slower than most owls, which greatly aids them in hunting.
Barn Owls can be found worldwide, and vary in coloration and size based on their geographic location. Within Northern America, there is little difference between Barn Owls found throughout Canada, The United States, and Mexico. Barn Owls inhabit a variety of habitats from forests, grasslands, to cities. They utilize open areas like fields for hunting but prefer sheltered areas for nesting.
Barn Owls are carnivorous hunters that mostly feed on rodents and occasionally other birds or amphibians. Barn Owls are incredible nocturnal hunters, utilizing their impeccable hearing and ability to channel sound waves to catch their prey. They hunt primarily over open areas and locate their prey based on sounds. Barn owls will consume between one and five rodents per night. They consume their prey whole, and roughly six hours after eating, the indigestible parts are regurgitated in the form of a pellet.
Barn Owls can breed anytime of the year, but their typical breeding season is March through June. They can start breeding as early as their first year, and usually breed once per year. However, they have been recorded breeding multiple times per year, although this is very rare.
Barn Owls are cavity nesters, meaning that they use an assortment of different pre-existing cavities to nest in. They are often found nesting in caves, trees, or man-made structures like barns, silos or nesting boxes.
US Conservation Status:
Considered as a species of “Least Concern” for the US overall, but conservation status varies by state from being considered endangered in the midwestern states, to being labeled as common in states like Pennsylvania and Kansas. Species numbers are increasing in these states due to intensive restoration efforts.
(Population = between 140,000 and 4,000,000 in the US)
Tennessee Conservation Status:
Declining within Tennessee. Listed as “In Need of Management” in 1976 by TWRA.
IUCN Status: Least Concern
North American distribution of the Barn Owl (courtesy of Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Unlike most owls, instead of the typical hooting call, the Barn Owl makes a raspy screeching noise. This call is mostly made by males. They also make a softer noise, called purring, used to entice females toward their nests, and can also be heard making hissing noises to warn off predators.
Photo Credit: Lisa Thomison