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Open
Daily
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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Common Barn Owl
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| Scientific Name: |
Tyto alba |
| Range: |
North, Central, and South America; Europe, Asia,
Africa, and Australia |
| Habitat: |
Open woodlands |
| Natural Diet: |
Rodents, birds, and lizards |
| Zoo Diet: |
Mice and commercially prepared meat diet for birds of
prey |
Physical
Characteristics: |
Barn owls can grow up to 16 inches in length and weigh
up to 23 ounces. Males and females look very much alike, although the
female is slightly larger. Their upper feathers are a tawny brown color
with a white, feathered body underneath. Distinctive white disks
surround their small, dark eyes. |
| Behavior: |
Barn owls are nocturnal birds (active at night) with
excellent eyesight and hearing. When owls fly through the air, they make
almost no noise at all due to the soft edges on their feathers. This
lets them sneak up on their prey. After spotting prey by flying low over
the ground or watching from a perch, a barn owl catches its food using
its powerful legs and sharp, curved claws. |
| Reproduction: |
When a barn owl is one year old, it will find its mate.
The two owls will stay together throughout their lives. The female lays
eggs in a hollow tree or an abandoned building. She feeds the young with
food that the male finds. The female broods (sits on eggs until they
hatch) for up to three weeks after hatching. Both parents take care of
their young, which are born without feathers and with eyes closed. |
| Notes: |
Unlike some of its relatives, barn owls do not “hoot.”
Instead, they talk to other owls with long screeches. |
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