Barn Owl (Tyto alba)

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Barn Owl (Tyto alba)

George W. Robinson ©
California Academy of Sciences

Length: 13-19 in.
Habitat: forests near open country; farmlands, towns.

Long before this worldwide species was "barn" owl, it nested and took shelter in hollow trees, caves, and burrows. Often it still does. But man's structures furnish it with ideal cover, and the bird can be found roosting or nesting in belfries, towers, attics, and abandoned mine shafts as well as barns and silos. This owl is a nocturnal hunter. Experiments have shown that it requires its ears only, and not its eyes, to locate and catch its small-mammal prey, and that owls can hunt in almost complete darkness.