The Barn Owl is
one of the UK public's favourite
birds and is responding well to the 19,000 miles of potential hunting habitat
for Barn Owls that farmers in England
have created.
The Breeding Bird
Survey recorded a staggering 390% increase in Barn Owl numbers across the UK between 1995
and 2010.
Barn Owl
The Barn Owl - Tyto alba - is the most widely distributed species of owl in the
world and is found on every continent except Antarctica.
It can be found anywhere that has abundant food and suitable roost sites, but it
generally prefers open areas, such as grasslands, deserts and wooded savanna. They
have acute hearing, with ears placed asymmetrically for improved detection of
sound position and distance.
Description
The Barn Owl is a
pale, long-winged, long-legged owl with a short squarish tail. The face is light
coloured and heart shaped, the eyes black. Its head and upper body typically
vary between a light brown and a light colored and dark grey. The underparts vary
from white to reddish buff. The bill is dark pinkish-grey and the talons are
black. Females are larger than males.
Call
A characteristic shree
scream, which is ear-shattering at close range. Males in courtship give a
shrill twitter. They also hiss like a snake to scare away intruders.
Food
It hunts by
flying low and slowly over an area of open ground, hovering over spots that
conceal potential prey. They feed primarily on small vertebrates, particularly
rodents. Studies have shown that an individual Barn Owl may eat one or more
rodents per night. A nesting pair and
their young can eat more than 1,000 rodents per year.
Breeding
Breeding can take
place at any time prey is abundant. It does not build its own nest, but instead
most commonly uses man-made structures, tree hollows and caves. It often uses
the same nesting site over many seasons. The female typically lays four to seven
eggs which she incubates while the male hunts. Incubation lasts for between 29
to 34 days and starts with the first egg, which means that there are chicks of
different ages in one nest. Older chicks sometimes feed their younger siblings
and, when food is scarce, sometimes resort to eating the younger chicks. The
chicks stay in the nest for 45 to 55 days before fledging. Juveniles often
return to the nest a week after learning to fly, and are able to hunt about
three weeks later.
Conservation Status – Least Concern
Barn Owls are
relatively common throughout most of their range and not considered globally
threatened. Not threatened, in fact common in large areas of southern Africa. Their population does vary year to year due to
the availability of food, especially rodents.
Birdwatching
Ask Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures
to create a tour for you or book on one of the following Aves Birding Tour/Safaris/Adventures scheduled tours to
see the Barn Owls: -
Aves Arid Birding
Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves Eastern Cape Birding
Tour / Safari /Adventure.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Birding Tour / Safari /
Adventure.
Aves KZN Birding
Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves North East
Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves North West Birding Tour
/ Safari / Adventure.
Aves Western Cape Birding
Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves West Coast
Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.