Everything You Need To Know About Barn Owls

Barn Owls: A Fascinating Nocturnal Hunter

I felt incredibly lucky and privileged while standing in a local nature reserve, watching a beautiful sunset.  Suddenly, I noticed a Barn Owl flying directly towards me! The Barn Owl hadn't spotted me and was hunting along a grassy water bank.  It flew incredibly close, just a couple of feet away, before it realised I was there.  Startled, it turned and flew away towards the forest edge, continuing to hunt.  This close encounter fuelled my interest in the world around me and learning about the nature I encounter.

Identification

The Barn Owl (Tyto Alba) is a medium-sized owl with a distinctive heart-shaped face, long wings, and long legs.  Its upperparts are a beautiful golden-brown, while its under parts are a pristine white.  Females tend to have slightly more spotting than males.

About Barn owls

These nocturnal hunters are perfectly adapted for catching small mammals, particularly field voles, in the UK.  Their incredible hearing and exceptional night vision make them formidable predators.

Feathers

Barn Owl feathers are a marvel of engineering! Their soft, downy structure allows for silent flight, crucial for surprise attacks on prey.

• Body Feathers: Soft and fluffy, often white or grey.
• Wing Feathers: Specially adapted for silent flight, with tiny hooks to reduce air turbulence.
• Moulting: A gradual process throughout the year, with flight feathers moulted between July and December.

Flight

Barn Owls are masters of the air!

• Low Wing Loading: Enables slow flight, hovering, and gentle manoeuvring.
• Silent Flight: Achieved through specialised feather structure, allowing them to approach prey undetected.

Hearing

Their heart-shaped face acts like a radar dish, funnelling sound towards their highly sensitive ears.  This incredible auditory system allows them to pinpoint prey in total darkness.

Eyesight

Barn Owls have exceptional night vision, allowing them to spot the slightest movement in low light.

Hunting

• Hunting Technique: They typically hunt at dusk and dawn, flying low over fields and using their hearing to locate prey.
• Diet: Primarily small mammals, with field voles being their favourite.
• Hunting Grounds: Rough grassland, hay meadows, and occasionally around farm buildings.

Home Range

A Barn Owl's home range is the area it uses for hunting, roosting, and breeding.

• Size: Can vary greatly, from a few hundred hectares to several thousand.
• Overlap: Home ranges often overlap with those of other Barn Owls.
• Importance: A well-known home range is crucial for survival, allowing the owl to efficiently navigate and hunt.

Breeding

• Breeding Season: Typically from March to August.
• Nesting: Barn Owls don't build nests; they usually lay eggs on a bed of old pellets.
• Clutch Size: Typically 4-6 eggs.
• Incubation: The female incubates the eggs for about 31-32 days.
• Raising Young: Both parents care for the owlets, with the male providing food.

Threats

• Starvation: Harsh winters with deep snow or heavy rain can make hunting difficult.
• Man-made Hazards: Collisions with vehicles, power lines, wind turbines, and ingestion of poisoned prey are significant threats.

Conservation

• Creating Habitat: Providing areas of rough grassland and managing land for small mammals is crucial.
• Nest Boxes: Well-placed nest boxes offer safe nesting and roosting sites.
• Reducing Hazards: Minimising road kill, avoiding the use of pesticides, protecting power lines, and turning wind turbines off when birds are fledging or migrating can significantly reduce mortality.

Conclusion

Barn Owls are fascinating creatures that play a vital role in our ecosystems.  By understanding their needs and taking steps to protect them, we can ensure the continued survival of these magnificent birds.

Visit the Barn Owl Trust website to find more about Barn Owls.

Visit The Barn owl Trusts Website to find out more.

Here is my first drawing of a Barn Owl: