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.