BARN OWL Richard, Bryan. 2007. The Encyclopedia of BIRDS. United Kingdom.

Parragon, Queen Street House, 4 Queen Street BA1 1HE, UK.

Family Length Habitat Distribution

: Tytonidae : 38cm (15in) : Open Woodland, grassland and cultivated land, often close to human habitation : Worldwide; found in Europe, most of Africa, southern and southeast asia, Australia and most of the Americas : White, Heart-shaped face, whitish underparts, lights orange-brown above, with dark spots on the head and shoulders long legs

Identification

The barn owl, and its close relatives, the masked, grass and bay owls belong to the family tytonidae, one of the two families of owls, the other being strigidae, or the typical owls. The two groups differ somewhat in the arrangement of their bone structures and the tytonid owls have heart-shaped facial disc. The two groups share many characteristics however, being mainly nocturnal, with large, forward-facing eyes and soft, dense plumage that enables almost silent flight. Although predatory, owls are more closely related to nightjars than the diurnal raptors. The barn owl is a distinctive and widely distributed species, and as it name suggest it often nest and roosts in barns, although it may also utilize other buildings or cavities in trees and cliff. It hunts at night, dawn or dusk, preying on small rodents, bats and birds, reptiles, amphibian and large invertebrates and, unlike many owls, which carry their prey in their talons, the barn owl tend to use its bill. During the breeding season, a clutch of four to seven eggs are laid, which are incubated by the female for about a month, whilst the male provides her with food. Both parent birds care for their chicks once hatched

BARN OWL, Tyto alba 35cm Sterry, Paul and Flegg, Jim. 1995. A Photographic Guide to Birds of Britain and Europe. UK. Newholland (publisher) Ltd A pale, medium-size owl. Upperparts pale sandy brown, delicately flecked with brown, grey and white. Underparts white in birds from north-western Europe, including Britain and Ireland. Those from southern Europe have underparts rich buff. Facial disc white and characteristically heart shaped. Eyes dark and large. Stance upright, legs long and knock-kneed. Wings relatively long, appearing vey pale in

flight. Usually nocturnal but may hunt in daylight in winter. Utters various roosting. Occurs in open woodland, farmland and outskirts of village. Widespread but nowhere numerous.