North American Owls

 

North American Owls

Owls (Order Strigiformes)

  1. Barn Owls (Family Tytonidae) - 18 species World Wide

  2. Typical Owls (Family Stigidae) - 226 species World Wide

  3. Smallest owl is the Elf owl and the largest are the Snowy owl and Great Horned owl in North America

  4. There are 19 species of owls in North America and 15 of those are found in Washington State (WA):

  • Barn owl (WA)

  • Barred owl (WA)

  • Boreal owl (WA)

  • Burrowing owl (WA)

  • Eastern Screech owl

  • Elf owl

  • Ferruginous Pygmy owl

  • Flammulated owl (WA)

  • Great Grey owl (WA)

  • Great Horned owl (WA)

  • Long Eared owl (WA)

  • Northern Hawk owl (WA)

  • Northern Pygmy owl (WA)

  • Northern Saw Whet owl (WA)

  • Short Eared owl (WA)

  • Snowy owl (WA)

  • Spotted owl (WA)

  • Western Screech owl (WA)

  • Whiskered Screech owl

 

 BARN OWL, Tyto alba

  • This family of owls is very similar to the typical owls (Strigidae) in behavior and functions

  • Barn Owls have a heart-shaped facial disc, their heads are longer and narrower and they have longer legs than typical owls

  • Barn owl is the only Tytonidae Family species in North America

Habitat

  • The owl Family Tytonidae inhabit open and semi-open woodlands, farmlands and savannas on every continent except Antarctica

  • In Washington, they are found in agricultural areas, cliffs, forest openings, wetlands, and other large, open spaces

  • In winter, they roost in dense conifers or barns


Behavior

  • Barn Owls bob their heads and weave back and forth

  • They hunt mostly at night by vision and sound

  • Barn Owls can locate and capture prey entirely by sound in total darkness

  • No other animal tested has as great an ability to locate prey by sound.


Diet

  • Small mammals, mostly rats, mice, voles

  • A family of Barn Owls can kill over 1,200 rats a year


Nesting

  • The male attracts a female in winter months with a display flight, and brings food to the female during courtship

  • They form a life-long pair bond

  • Egg lying is March through May

  • Babies are hatched in April (Barn Owls generally raise one or two broods per year and when food is abundant, they may raise three

  • They do not build a true nest, but much of the debris around the nest is formed into a depression

  • Nests are located on cliffs, in haystacks, hollow trees, burrows, in barns, old buildings, or other cavities

  • Female lays 2-11 egg and incubates them for 29-34 days

  • She begins to incubate as soon as the first egg is laid, so the young hatch 2-3 days apart

  • The young fly at about 60 days, although they return to the nest site at night for a few more weeks


Status

  • There is general concern that this species is declining due to habitat loss

  • They do not do well in harsh winters

  • Barn Owls respond well to nest-box programs

  • In recent years, farmers have begun to recognize their value for pest control.





    MORE SPECIES COMING SOON