Barn Owl

Tyto Furcata

Barn Owl

Tyto Furcata

Other Common Names
American barn owl

Behind-The-Scenes, Presentation Spaces

Other Common Names

American barn owl

At the Aquarium

Behind-The-Scenes, Presentation Spaces

Appearance

Barn owls are recognizable by their long legs and heart-shaped face. Their face, chest and belly is white to tan with fine spotting. Their face is rimmed with dark brown. They also have small dark eyes and broad wings that are fairly pointed. The dorsal color of the American barn owl is golden-yellow with large patches of gray and white. Their well-defined facial disc acts as a parabolic dish to collect faint sounds. This helps them hunt in total darkness.

Male and female barn owls look similar but the female is typically somewhat larger and may be darker in color.

Habitat

Woodlands, groves, farms, barns, towns and cliffs

Diet

Rodents including voles, mice, small rats, shrews and young rabbits. They also eat small birds, lizards, insects and sometimes frogs or even fish.

Life History

Some American barn owls remain near northern edges of their range through the fall and winter, while others, particularly young individuals, travel long distances southward in the fall. They nest in caves and hollow trees but may also use barn lofts, abandoned houses or crevices under bridges.

During courtship the male performs a flight display involving loud wing-claps. The American barn owl usually lays 3 to 8 eggs and has 1 to 2 broods per year. The female lays on the eggs for 29 to 34 days while the male brings her food. The female stays with the young in the beginning, but about 2 weeks after the chicks hatch she begins to hunt as well.

Young American barn owls’ first flight occurs when they are about 55 to 65 days old. They return to sleep in the nest or nearby for several more weeks.

IUCN Status

Least Concern

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

The American barn owl mainly feeds on small rodents, playing an important role in the control of pests, especially in agricultural areas. Scientists study American barn owl pellets to learn more about the owls, gaining a better sense of what they have eaten and the ecosystems they live in.

From southern Canada and the northern United States through Central and South America

The American barn owl is common in the open country west of the Cascades. In areas east of the Cascades, this species is more local in its distribution and is most common in agricultural areas.

Unlike the hoots of other owls, barn owls make a raspy screeching noise. Their screech has been compared to the sound of “a rake dragged across concrete.”

During the day this owl stays hidden in quiet places and by night they are skilled hunters. They have excellent low-light vision and hearing that enables them to capture prey in the dark.

American barn owls swallow their prey whole. They cough up pellets to expel undigested matter, like bones and fur.

Citations & Other Resources

BirdLife International. 2019. Tyto alba (amended version of 2016 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019.
Alsop, F. 2001. Birds of North America (1st American ed.). DK.
National Audubon Society. N.d. American Barn Owl. Audubon Field Guide. https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/american-barn-owl
Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. N.d. Owls. https://myodfw.com/wildlife-viewing/species/owls
Kohler, B., L.J. Guimaraes and A.C. Srbek-Araujo. 2019. Diet of the American Barn Owl, Tyto furcata , in a Tabuleiro Atlantic Forest remnant in southeastern Brazil/Dieta da Coruja-das-torres, Tyto furcata , cm remanesccnte de Mata Atlantic;) dc Tabuleiro no sudeste do Brasil. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 131(1), 111.
Peeters, H. J. 2007. Field guide to owls of California and the West (1st ed.). University of California Press. https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520941168
Cornell Lab of Ornithology. N.d. American Barn Owl. All About Birds. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Barn_Owl/overview

Barn Owl

Barn Owl

Other Common Names

At the Aquarium

Appearance

Habitat

Diet

Life History

IUCN Status

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

Citations & Other Resources

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