Barn Owl Facts

Barn Owl Facts

Image Source: "Tyto alba close up" by Stevie B - [1]. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tyto_alba_close_up.jpg#/media/File:Tyto_alba_close_up.jpg

1. This medium sized owl has a prominent white and heart shaped facial disc.  Its back plumage (feather color) is sandy brown and streaked or polka dotted with white and blue  some people might think it looks like a toasted marshmallow.  The chest is light with dark polka dots. The female has a more reddish and heavily spotted chest.   Look for a light colored owl with no feather tufts; a white, heart shaped face; small, dark eyes; and long unfeathered legs. 

2. This is one of the few bird species where females are showier than males.   Heavily spotted females get fewer parasitic flies and may be more resistant to parasites and diseases.

3. Barn Owls call infrequently.  The most common sound is a drawn out, rasping screech. 

4.They have the most accurate hearing of any animal.  They can catch prey in complete darkness or when hidden by vegetation or snow. 

5. Barn Owls have asymmetrical ear openings one high up on the skull and the other much lower.  These help the owl find exactly where a sound is coming from, including how far away and how high off the ground it is.

Image Source: "Kerkuil licht en donker" by HeBi - Own work. Licensed under FAL via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kerkuil_licht_en_donker.jpg#/media/File:Kerkuil_licht_en_donker.jpg

6. The female is slightly longer and heavier with a slightly greater wingspan than the male. 

7. The face of the barn owl really distinguishes it from other owl species.  It has a white, heart-shaped face with dark eyes.  The orange-brown stiff feathers around its face are what make this owl in a different family than all other owls. 

8. The head is smooth and rounded without ear tufts.  The back of its head and back have rusty colored feathers with small black spots.  The front of the owl has white-gray feathers.  The long legs of the barn owl are sparsely feathered and the feet are a gray color.  This coloration keeps them from being seen during the day. 

9. Their sharp talons are used for seizing prey, while the hooked beak tears meat.  Eyes are in front of the head for depth perception, better hunting, and avoiding obstacles. 

10. Owls have an amazing sense of hearing.  It has been shown that they can hear a mouse running underneath the snow!  They use their round facial disk to trap and isolate sound so they know exactly where to dive for their prey.  They also have asymmetrically placed ears so they can listen in 2 different locations at once.  Because of their sensitivity to noise, they have feathered earflaps that can cover their ears if the noise level is too high.

11. Barn owls have excellent low light vision and they also see well by day. 

12. Barn owls attack prey in low, slow flights, capture them with their feet, nip the prey at the back of the skull with their bill, and swallow the prey whole. 

13. The female owl will eat the feces of her owlets to keep her nest clean! 

Image Source: "Barn Owl flying" by Kristina Servant - https://www.flickr.com/photos/xkristinax/9649002129/. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Barn_Owl_flying.jpg#/media/File:Barn_Owl_flying.jpg

14. The barn owl is also known as the "monkey-faced owl,"ghost owl," and the "golden owl". 

15. Owls eat their prey whole and then regurgitate what they cannot digest such as the fur, feathers, and bones as pellets.  You can dissect an owl pellet and piece together the skeleton of the last animal the barn owl ate.  The pellet is quite dry and soft to the touch.

16. Owls have always featured prominently in the mythology and folklore of cultures throughout the world. They are one of the few birds found in prehistoric cave paintings and have been both revered and feared by civilisations since  ancient times. They are symbols of wisdom and good fortune in some cultures in that they are associated with new life, curing sickness and warding of evil spirits. In other cultures they are associated with curses, linked with witches and devils and harbingers of death and doom.

17. In Ireland, the eerie, blood curdling screech of the Barn Owl is likely to be responsible for the legend of the Banshee, a female spirit who foretold death by her mournful screams and wailing at night. Even to this day, ancient ruins are assumed to be haunted due to the strange  ‘hissing’ and  ‘snoring’  of Barn Owls from their nests sites within. 

18. Historically in Ireland, before the days of rat poisons, the Barn Owl was greatly valued for their role in controlling rats and mice around grain stores and farmyards, and special ‘owl windows’were built in many farm buildings to allow the owls access to nest in the loft space. Their popularity has continued, if not increased since, likely helped by the Barn Owl featuring on the opening of the ‘Late Late Show’, and also the film, ‘Harry Potter’.