Barn Owl

The Barn owl (Tyto alba) is the most widely distributed species of owl in the world and one of the most widespread of all species of birds. It is found almost everywhere in the world except for the polar and desert regions, Asia north of the Himalayas, most of Indonesia, and some Pacific Islands. This owl does not hoot but utters an eerie, drawn-out screech.

General Information:

Common Name:Barn Owl
Scientific Name:Tyto alba
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
Family:Tytonidae

Description

Distribution

Barn owls occur in all of Europe (except Fennoscandia and Malta), most of Africa apart from the Sahara, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Australia, many Pacific Islands, and North, Central, and South America.

Habitat

Barn owls are birds of open country such as farmland, plantation, shrubland, savanna, or grassland with some interspersed woodland. They prefer to hunt along the edges of woods or in rough grass strips adjoining pasture. For nesting and roosting, they choose holes in trees, fissures in cliffs, disused buildings, chimneys, hay sheds, barns, or silos

Mating Habits

Barn owls are carnivores and most of their prey is terrestrial, but bats and birds are also taken, as well as lizards, amphibians, and insects.

Diet

Barn owls are usually monogamous, the female lays 2 to 9 chalky white eggs, and the incubation period lasts about 30 days. The female does all the incubation, and she and the young chicks are reliant on the male for food. The chicks are at first covered with greyish-white down and develop rapidly. Within a week they can hold their heads up and shuffle around in the nest.
By 3 weeks old the owlets stand, making snoring noises with wings raised and tail stumps waggling, begging for food items. By the 6th week, they are as big as the adults and by the 9th week, the owlets are fully-fledged and start leaving the nest briefly themselves. They are still dependent on their parents until about 13 weeks and receive training from the female in finding, and eventually catching prey. Young females become ready to breed at 10 to 11 months of age although males sometimes wait till the following year.

Threats

Loss and fragmentation of grassland foraging habitat, intensification of agricultural practices, urbanization, and road development which is also linked to road mortalities.
It also suffers from severe winters. Increased mechanization of farmland in its northern range has meant the loss of important foraging sites, such as stockyards and stables, and the loss of abandoned farm buildings suitable for nest-sites.

IUCN Status

Lease Concern