Northern Barn Owls Habitat

You can recognize the northern--or North American--barn owl by its heart-shaped white face. The barn owl is one of the most widely distributed species of birds, and its population remains healthy worldwide. It has no ear tufts, but this owl's ears are extremely sensitive. Scientists say that its ability to locate prey by sound is the best of any animal tested.

  1. Description

    • The North American barn owl is a medium-sized owl with long legs. Its dark eyes stand out in its white face. The male owl's back is speckled brown but most of its underside is white. The female's chest is redder and heavily spotted. The North American barn owl stands about 16 inches high and can have a wingspan of 39 to 49 inches. Barn owls never hoot, but instead they give eerie screams or hissing noises.

    Range

    • Young owls have the same coloring as mature owls.

      Barn owls are found around the world, on every continent except Antarctica. They are among the most widely distributed of all land birds. Scientists believe that the large geographic range of the barn owl is due, in part, to its versatility in nest sites and prey, its strong wings, and its ability to adapt to human-modified habitats. There are 46 species of barn owl of which the North American is the biggest.

    Habitat

    • Another name given to this owl is "monkey-faced owl."

      This owl needs large areas of open habitat, urban or rural, in which to hunt. This can be pasture land, hay fields, wetlands or desert, favoring lower elevations in most of its range. A key factor in habitat is the presence of meadow voles, the owl's preferred food. Since barn owls nest in hollows or cavities, the presence of these is also a habitat requirement.

    Hunting

    • With their fine sense of hearing, barn owls are successful night hunters. They fly low over the ground looking--and listening--for small mammals such as mice, voles and even birds. Once they perceive their prey, they descend in an aerial dive. A nesting pair, together with their young, might consume as many as 1,000 mice in one season.

    Nesting

    • The northern barn owl nests in hollow spaces, natural or those made by man. It nests in trees, cliff cavities, caves, riverbanks, church steeples and barn lofts. It will also occupy a nest box set out by backyard birders. The nesting female will generally lay between two and 18 eggs of a dull white color. The newly hatched young are helpless and covered with white down.