Barn Owl

	The Barn Owl (Tyto alba) is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. They are found almost anywhere in the world outside polar and desert regions. The Barn Owl is a pale, long-winged, long-legged owl with a short square tail. Depending on subspecies, it measures between 25 and 45 cm in overall length, with a wingspan of about 75 to 100 cm. Its head and upperparts are a mixture of buff and grey (especially on the forehead and back) feathers in most subspecies. All have fine black-and-white speckles. The heart-shaped face is usually bright white. The underparts vary from white to reddish buff among the subspecies, and are either mostly unpatterned or bear a varying amount of tiny blackish-brown speckles. Contrary to popular belief, it does not hoot. It instead produces the characteristic shree scream, ear-shattering at close range. It can hiss like a snake, and when captured or cornered, it throws itself on its back and flails with sharp-taloned feet, making for an effective defence. This is a bird of open country such as farmland or grassland. This owl prefers to hunt along the edges of woods. It has an effortless wavering flight as it quarters pastures or similar hunting grounds. Like most owls, the Barn Owl flies silently; tiny serrations on the leading edges of its flight feathers help to break up the flow of air over its wings, thereby reducing turbulence and the noise that accompanies it.
				Scientific Classification: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Subclass: Neornithes Infraclass: Neognathae Superorder: Neoaves Order: Strigiformes Family: Tytonidae Subfamily: Tytoninae Genus: Tyto Species: T. alba Range:

	The Barn Owl has acute hearing, with ears placed asymmetrically for improved detection of sound position and distance, and it does not require sight to hunt. Hunting nocturnally or crepuscularly, it can target and dive down, penetrating it talons through snow, grass or brush to seize rodents with deadly accuracy. Compared to other owls of similar size, the Barn Owl has a much higher metabolic rate, requiring relatively more food. Pound for pound, Barn Owls consume more rodents than possibly any other creature. Studies have shown that an individual Barn Owl may eat one or more rodents per night; a nesting pair and their young can eat more than 1,000 rodents per year! This makes the Barn Owl one of the most economically valuable wildlife animals to farmers. Farmers often find these owls more effective than poison in keeping down rodent pests, and they can encourage Barn Owl habitation by providing nest sites.
	The Barn Owl builds a nest of sorts, but unlike in typical owls it is just a scrape in any unsorted debris as has assembled in a hollow with narrow entrance. Typical nest sites include tree stumps and cliff crevices, but these owls will readily nest in attics, vacant and ruined buildings, and even wells, chimneys, hunting blinds and similar locations. The usual clutch consists of roughly half a dozen eggs, but may be as small as 2. Predators of the Barn Owl include large American opossums, the Common Raccoon, and similar carnivorous mammals, as well as large raptors such as hawks, eagles, and other owls such as Great Horned Owl and the Eurasian Eagle-owl. Some fall also victim to large snakes, but the biggest threats are habitat loss and humans and their pets (in particular house or feral cats). Barn Owls are relatively common throughout most of their range. However, locally severe declines from organochlorine (e.g. DDT) poisoning in the mid-20th century and rodenticides in the late 20th century have affected some populations. In Canada, Barn Owls are listed as endangered species. In Southern Ontario, the Barn Owl is critically endangered with only one breeding pair remaining in the wild.

References:
* Álamo Tavío, Manuel (1975): Aves de Fuerteventura en peligro de extinción ["Endangered Birds of Fuerteventura"]. In: Asociación Canaria para Defensa de la Naturaleza (ed.): Aves y plantas de Fuerteventura en peligro de extinción: 10-32. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
* BirdLife International (BLI) (2008). Tyto alba. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2008. Retrieved on 19 December 2008.
* Bruce, M.D. (1999): Family Tytonidae (Barn-owls). In: del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. (eds): Handbook of Birds of the World (Vol.5: Barn-owls to Hummingbirds): 34-75, plates 1-3. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
* Cisneros-Heredia, Diego F. (2006): Notes on breeding, behaviour and distribution of some birds in Ecuador. Bull. B.O.C. 126(2): 153-164.
* Day, Charles (2001): Researchers uncover the neural details of how Barn Owls locate sound sources. Phys. Today 54(6): 20-22.
* Ehrlich, Paul Ralph; Dobkin, David S.; Wheye, Darryl & Pimm, Stuart L. (1994): The Birdwatcher's Handbook: A Guide to the Natural History of the Birds of Britain and Europe. Oxford University Press.
* Ingles, Chuck (1995): Summary of California studies analyzing the diet of barn owls. Sustainable Agriculture/Technical Reviews 7(2): 14-16.
* Krabbe, Niels; Flórez, Pablo; Suárez, Gustavo; Castaño, José; Arango, Juan David & Duque, Arley (2006) The birds of Páramo de Frontino, western Andes of Colombia. Ornitologıá Colombiana 4: 39–50
* Ministry of the Environment of Spain (MES) (2006): [Tyto alba gracilirostris status report].
* Motta-Junior, José Carlos (2006): Relações tróficas entre cinco Strigiformes simpátricas na região central do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil [Comparative trophic ecology of five sympatric Strigiformes in central State of São Paulo, south-east Brazil]. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 14(4): 359-377
* Palacios, César-Javier (2004): Current status and distribution of birds of prey in the Canary Islands. Bird Conservation International 14(3): 203–213.
* Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) (2008): Barn Owl Conservation Initiative. Version of 2008-AUG-25. Retrieved 2008-OCT-03.
* Svensson, Lars; Zetterström, Dan; Mullarney, Killian & Grant, Peter J. (1999): Collins Bird Guide. Harper & Collins, London.
* University of Florida (UF) (1999): Spooky Owl Provides Natural Rodent Control For Farmers. Version of 1999-OCT-28. Retrieved 2008-OCT-03.

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