Barn Owl — Species Information

Species common name: Barn owl
Latin name: Tyto alba
Order, family: Strigiformes, Tytonidae
Range, habitat: Widespread but low population density. Found on every continent except Antarctica; hunts in open areas like grasslands, agricultural zones and deserts.
Weight: 400-700 g
Wingspan: 100-150 cm
Length: 32-40 cm
Lifespan: Wild, 2 years; captivity over 30.
Clutch, nest: 2-18. In cavities, caves, mines, old buildings.
Predators: Great horned owls; also most large hawks/falcons will harass/kill these delicate predators.
Prey: Primarily small rodents. Hunts by 'coursing'- flying low and slowly across open area, listening for rodents.

Barn owls have the best hearing of any animal tested so far; they can catch a live mouse in a completely dark room. Like most owls, their ears are asymmetrical on their head- one ear is higher than the other. This allows the owl to triangulate the sound and catch prey in a 3-dimensional space. Barn owls hunt in darkest night to avoid predation by greathorned owls, so they rely almost entirely on their hearing.