While widely distributed throughout the world, and very common in our area, the barn owl is absent from coniferous forests in the mountains. Urbanization of grasslands in the Midwestern United States has caused a reduction of barn owl numbers. In the eastern U.S., they are uncommon and their population is declining.

While widely distributed throughout the world, and very common in our area, the barn owl is absent from coniferous forests in the mountains. Urbanization of grasslands in the Midwestern United States has caused a reduction of barn owl numbers. In the eastern U.S., they are uncommon and their population is declining.

This owl is characterized by its heart-shaped face and dark eyes. In flight, at night, the barn owl appears to be pure white. His upperparts are, however, an orange buff, speckled with gray and white. The darker birds are females, with the males being paler in color. Their average length is 16 inches.

Barn owls rely on open fields for hunting. They are nocturnal, preying primarily on small rodents. They generally swallow their prey whole. Undigested portions, such as fur and bones, are regurgitated by the barn owl in pellet form. The barn owl usually produces two pellets or "castings" every twenty-four hours. All birds of prey produce these castings which, when examined, can assist the biologist or nature lover in determining the preferred prey species of the predatory birds.

Barn owls are cavity nesters and take readily to man-made structures- hence the name "barn" owl. Attics, barns, church steeples, and homemade barn owl boxes are all suitable nesting sites, as barn owls do not build nests, preferring instead to lay their eggs on flat or slightly creviced surfaces.

Barn owls in our area seem to have an extended breeding period lasting from March through September. October babies are not uncommon in San Diego county. Incubation is between 32 and 34 days with a clutch usually consisting of between 3 and 7 white eggs laid in a staggered (asynchronous) fashion, with the youngest (last hatched) not likely to survive.

Although barn owls are nocturnal by nature, it is not unusual to observe a barn owl hunting in the daytime during "baby season". With a nest of hungry babies to feed, one parent owl may catch 60 or 70 rodents daily for the nestlings to eat. Nestling barn owls fledge in 9 to 12 weeks. Unlike some species, once fledged the young barn owls are indistinguishable from their parents, both in coloration and size.

The flight of the barn owl is virtually silent. They soar through the night skies in a ghostly, almost eerie, silence. When threatened, however, the vocalizations of the barn owl are hair-raising! Beginning with an audible series of beak "clicks", the defensive owl will then launch into a loud hiss, similar to air being released from a scuba tank. This is immediately followed by an ear-splitting, shrill, elongated scream. Youngsters, both in the nest and those just fledging, often practice these vocalizations which can be quite unnerving at times. The benefits of having barn owls in your area far outweigh any problems caused by their vocalizations. They are superb hunters with voracious appetites and will certainly do their part to keep our rodent population under control-the natural way.

Related Books:

• National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America : Revised and Updated by Jon L. Dunn
• National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds : Western Region : Western Region (National Audubon Society Field Guide) by Miklos D. F. Udvardy, John, Jr. Farrand, National Audubon Society

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