The barn owl, known for its distinctive heart-shaped face and silent flight, is one of the most widespread owl species in the world. These incredible birds are found on every continent except Antarctica, making them one of the most widely distributed birds globally.

Despite their widespread range, barn owls are particularly associated with regions that don't experience harsh winter conditions. This article explores some interesting facts about barn owls, their habits, diet, and fascinating behaviors.

Wide Distribution and Habitat Preferences

Barn owls can be found on all continents except Antarctica. While they thrive in tropical regions, they generally avoid areas with cold winters. In the Northern Hemisphere, the most northerly breeding barn owls are found in Scotland, where they have adapted to the cooler climate. However, prolonged snow cover can have devastating effects on their population, as it significantly reduces their food supply, leading to starvation for many of these birds.

Diet and Feeding Habits

Barn owls primarily feed on small mammals, including mice, voles, and shrews, but they are also known to catch young rats and even fish from ponds. One of the more unusual feeding records of barn owls includes a sighting of them catching flying hawk moths. The availability of food plays a crucial role in their breeding, as it dictates the number of eggs laid and how successful the chicks will be.

Things you need to know about BARN OWLS!

Video by A Shot Of Wildlife

Monogamous and Family Life

Barn owls typically form monogamous pairs, with both parents sharing the responsibility of hunting and raising their young. However, cases of bigamy do occur, where one male may form a bond with two females. Their nests are typically found in barns or holes in trees, although in some regions, such as eastern England, they prefer nesting in trees rather than barns. Barn owls will readily adopt nest boxes, a method that has been proven to increase their population in areas where suitable natural nesting sites are scarce.

Reproduction and Egg Laying

The size of the barn owl's clutch can vary greatly, with anywhere from four to seven eggs being typical, though as many as 14 have been recorded in some cases. The number of eggs laid often depends on the availability of food, particularly voles. If food is abundant, a pair of barn owls may even raise two broods in a single year, although the second brood is usually smaller than the first. Incubation begins as soon as the first egg is laid, and the hatching is asynchronous, meaning the youngest chick in a brood may be two weeks younger than its oldest sibling. This unique hatching system helps the oldest chicks have a better chance of surviving when food is scarce.

Flight and Independence

Barn owl chicks typically take their first flight around 50-55 days after hatching. However, they remain dependent on their parents for another month before becoming fully independent. British barn owls, which have a characteristic white chest, are mostly sedentary, rarely moving far from their breeding sites. In contrast, barn owls from central and eastern Europe, which tend to have darker plumage, are more migratory and are regularly spotted in eastern Britain.

Conservation Status and Call

After many years of decline, the population of barn owls in Britain is now slowly increasing. Although do not hoot like many other owl species, the male has a distinctive shrieking call, often repeated several times. These owls are typically nocturnal, although it's not uncommon to see them hunting during the day, especially in mid-winter or when feeding chicks.