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Get ready to hear the bloodcurdling scream of a beautiful barn owl, thanks to Ellen Kalish from Ravensbeard Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Saugerties, NY. Ellen’s bird ambassador, Twyla, offers us a glimpse into the fascinating world of the Barn Owl.

Nature was truly at its creative best when designing the Barn Owl. Everything about them is awe-inspiring, from their soft feathers for silent flight to their heart-shaped facial disc that collects and directs sound towards their inner ears and extremely low-light, highly movement-sensitive vision.

But what we love most about them is their remarkably long legs, toes, and talons that help them catch prey at the base of deep vegetation. Their claws are incredibly sharp and believed to kill prey by foot clenching rather than a peck, making them a farmer’s best friend.

Cool Facts About Barn Owls

Effective Pest Controllers

The beautiful Barn Owl (Tyto alba), known for its heart-shaped face, might be small, weighing just 15 to 20 ounces, but it’s mighty when it comes to rodent elimination.

A pair of Barn Owls and their family of owlets consume 2,500 voles and other rodents over a year, making them nature’s effective pest controllers.

hear-the-bloodcurdling-scream-of-a-beautiful-barn-owlBarn Owls are a making them a farmer's best friend — A pair of Barn Owls and their family of owlets consume 2,500 voles and other rodents over a year, making them nature’s effective pest controllers.

Lifespan

There are up to 46 different races of Barn Owls worldwide. The North American race is the largest, weighing over twice as much as the smallest race found in the Galapagos Islands.

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary banding reveals the average lifespan of the Barn Owl is only 1.8 years. Estimates indicate that 75% of Barn Owls never live to their first birthday. Many of these owls die of starvation during their first winter, as the ice on top of the snow blocks them from reaching the prey they can hear beneath the snow’s surface.

Predators

The Barn Owl’s chief predator is the Great Horned Owl. Barn Owls are prone to getting hit by vehicles when swooping near the ground for prey. That’s why it’s important not to throw garbage outside your car windows. The trash attracts rodents, the Barn Owl’s meal of choice, and when owls swoop down to grab them, they can get hit by passing cars.

Owl’s Pellets Provide Clues to Scientists

Barn Owls have a unique way of digesting their prey. They swallow their prey whole, including the skin and bones. Instead of passing all the material through their digestive tracts, they cough up pellets about twice a day. These pellets contain information about what the owls have eaten, and scientists study them to learn more about the owls and the ecosystems they inhabit.

Females Have Spots

Female Barn Owls are more showy than males, with reddish and heavily spotted chests. The spots on the chest may indicate the quality of the female. Females with more spots tend to attract fewer parasitic flies, which may make them more resistant to parasites and diseases. These spots may also encourage the male to help more around the nest. In an experiment where some females had their spots removed, their mates fed their nestlings less often than males whose spots were left intact.

Everything about Barn Owls is awe-inspiring, from their soft feathers for silent flight to their heart-shaped facial disc that collects and directs sound towards their inner ears and extremely low-light, highly movement-sensitive vision.

Silent Predators of the Night

The Barn Owl is highly skilled in locating prey, especially at night. Its low-light vision is excellent, and it can easily spot prey by sight. However, its ability to detect prey by sound alone is unparalleled among animals tested. In fact, it can catch mice in complete darkness in the laboratory or even when they are hidden by vegetation or snow in the real world.

Living Up to Their Name

Many people first glimpse these owls while driving through the open countryside at night. A flash of pale wings in the headlights is usually a barn owl. These birds often live up to their name by inhabiting barns and other old, abandoned buildings, so keep an eye out for them there. Unlike most other owls, barn owls don’t hoot. Listen for their harsh screeches at night.

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