Description

The Barn Owl is unmistakable in the field. It’s ghostly appearance and distinctive heart shaped facial disc differentiates it from the other owls occurring in BC (Cornell University, 2015). It is a medium sized owl ranging from 30-37 cm with a wingspan of about 104-120 cm (Zevit, 2010). Barn Owl’s have a white or tan underbelly with black specks.The males are generally whiter and smaller than    

females and have fewer black spots (Figure 1) (Martin, 2009). They have a screeching call that is easily distinguished without seeing the owl.

 

Distribution & Habitat

The Barn Owl is globally distributed, absent only from parts of the West Indies, New Zealand and Indonesia. They seldom occur in high Northern latitude and have limited range in British Columbia (Martin, 2009). Within BC, the Barn Owl occurs at the lowest elevations available in southern BC (Zevit, 2010). During the daytime, they nest in the hollows of trees or more commonly in human infrastructures where there is little human activity. These nests will likely be located near or on the floor of a building or tree. (Martin, 2009). Barn Owl’s are strictly nocturnal and inhabit grasslands, open fields and agricultural areas where they feed on rodent species, especially voles (Taylor, 1994).

 

Hunting & Diet

Barn Owls have excellent sight and hearing. Their low-light visibility and the use of their facial disc for funneling sound is responsible for their hunting success. These features allow barn owls to find their prey even when they are hidden from view (i.e. buried in snow or in burrow) (Martin, 2009). In North America and Europe, Barn Owls primarily feed on Townsend’s Vole (Zevit, 2010). Non-mammalian prey, such as birds, reptiles and frogs are occasionally consumed when voles and other rodent species are unavailable. Prey is generally consumed whole. (Taylor, 1994).

 

Behaviour

As mentioned before Barn Owls are nocturnal animals. During the day you will find them ‘roosting’ or resting in quiet areas that are well protected (Figure 2). Barn Owls are commonly found resting in pairs and more than one pair of owls may inhabit in close proximity if food is abundant in the area (Martin, 2009). These owls are unlikely to defend their hunting territories from other owls, but they will defend territory that is in close proximity to their nesting sites (Martin, 2009). When defense is needed Barn Owls have a variety of maneuvers to wean off predators: hissing and bill snapping are common, as well as opening wings in order to look bigger is used along with shaking their head back and forth (View Link Below) (Bunn, 1982).

 

 

Mating & Reproduction

Barn Owls are known to be monogamous and may stick with the same partner for several breeding seasons or for their entire life. Males attract females many ways, one way is by performing a ‘moth flight’ which is where they hover in front of the female for several seconds (oolala). Once chosen the male will bring prey to his partner and often it is more than she could consume prior to their breeding time (Cornell, 2015). Breeding season usually occurs between February and June. Breeding occurs in February in warmer climates such as Florida and later in spring for more temperate areas such as BC.

 

Threats, Conservation & Management

Population decrease coincides with industrialization of farmland habitats necessary for Barn Owl hunting and feeding. This development leads to the inevitable decrease of British Columbia’s Barn Owl population. Not only are Barn Owls susceptible to these habitat changes but so istheir prey, Townsend’s Vole. Car accidents and pesticide use are also killers of Barn Owls (Zevit 2010). Public knowledge and ability to identify Barn Owls is a necessity for keeping track of Barn Owl populations. In “BC’s Coast Region: Species & Ecosystems of Conservation Concern” objectives for Barn Owl management hopes to protect large tracts of habitat from development. Timing crop harvesting, protecting known nest sites and encouraging landowners to conserve and protect nesting habitats suitable for Barn Owl nesting are all factors that could help protect the Barn Owl. The Barn Owl is protected by the British Columbia Wildlife Act and the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA).

 

 

 

 

References

1. Zevit, Pamela. 2010. BC’s Coast Region: Species & Conservation Concern – Barn Owl (Tyto alba). Consultants of South Coast Conservation Program. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.
2. Martin, J.M., Raid, R.N. & Branch, L.C. 2009. Barn Owl (Tyto alba). University of Florida, IFAS. Web. 17 Oct. 2015.
3. Barn Owl. 2015. All About Birds. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Web. 17 Oct. 2015.
4. Jaguar, Tambako. 2014. AWWDUCATIONAL. Awwducational. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.
5. Taylor, Iain. 1994. Barn Owls- Predator-Prey Relationships and Conservation. University of Edinburgh. Web. 22 Oct. 2015.
6. Bunn, D.S., Warburton, A.B., & Wilson, R.D.S.The Barn Owl. Soho Square, London: A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 1982. Print.