Barn Owl
The Ghost of the Bell Towers
It is called a barn owl because, in the past, people were frightened by this bird of prey and mistook it for a ghost due to its pale color and its call.
A nocturnal bird, the barn owl can catch prey in total darkness using its highly developed hearing.
The female lays 4 to 7 eggs between March and May in a nest made of straw and earth. If rodents are plentiful, a second clutch may also be laid.
IUCN status
The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN)
Description
Tyto alba
Tytonidae
290 to 370g
33 to 39cm
Open environments
Least Concern
8 to 12 years
Protecting the barn owl
This species is all too often a victim of traffic and the closure of church steeples. Why not install a barn owl nesting box at your home to help offset the installation of wire mesh on church steeples?
Food
It feeds on small rodents, birds, large insects, and frogs.
