Barn Owl
Tyto alba

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Tytonidae
Genus: Tyto

Audio for Species

Call
Song

from Macaulay Library

Species Related Links

Additional Barn Owl Pictures

Description

Length: 12.6-15.7 in (32-40 cm) Weight: 14.1-24.7 oz (400-700 g) Wingspan: 39.4-49.2 in (100-125 cm)

The Barn Owl is a medium-sized owl, with round head and a face that is outlined and heart-shaped . The back is brownish orange with black and white spots; the underside is mostly white with dark spots. Females significantly larger than males in body mass, total length, beak length, tarsus length, foot length and width, and wing loading. Female plumage is typically darker than that of males. Under parts variable with females tending to have more and larger spotting on wings and breast than males. Some males are unmarked white on the belly and some females dark buff heavily spotted with black.

Habitat, Range, and Feeding

Breeding and foraging habitat: Dense grass fields. Open and partly open grassland, marsh, lightly grazed pasture, hayfields, often around human habitation. A cavity-nesting bird that nests in buildings (church steeples, attics, silos and barns, wooden water tanks, etc.), caves, crevices on cliffs, burrows, and hollow trees, but rarely in trees with dense foliage. Caves, cliff crevices, and cut bank burrows are rarely used in the east; mostly uses tree cavities in the northeast. Barn Owls use nest boxes frequently. Reproductive success generally is higher in a properly placed and maintained nest box than in a natural nest cavity. Clutch size is 2 to 18 eggs, that are a dull white.

They eat small mammals (rats, mice, voles, moles, etc)