Where does the barn owl live. Barn owl: photo of an owl. Food for cute owl

(Tyto alba). Owl detachment, Barn owl family. Habitat - Australia, Asia, America, Africa. Wingspan 95 cm.Weight 450 g.

The common barn owl is one of the most common among barn owls. It is easy to distinguish from other relatives by the heart-shaped facial disc. Her facial disc is snow-white; a reddish tint is noticeable around the eyes. The feathers of the wings and back are pale beige; decorated with small gray-blue spots and white dots.

This owl can be found in Africa, America and Asia. They do not stretch south in autumn. They can live in the same place for years. At the same time, they do not get fat by winter. Therefore, barn owls are more comfortable somewhere in Africa than in Siberia. There have been cases when in especially harsh winters birds died from the cold. In areas with a mild climate, chicks are sometimes bred twice a year. They feed them in autumn and even at the beginning of winter. There would be more food - all kinds of rodents.

Representatives of this family are found everywhere with the exception of Antarctica and New Zealand. In total, bird watchers count 11 species of barn owls. They can be distinguished from normal owls (purely visually, without anatomical comparisons) by their whitish facial disc - in owls (except for polar ones) it is much darker. Barn owls nest in tree hollows, willingly settle near human habitation, and often breed chicks right in buildings. These predators feed on mouse-like rodents, shrews, and occasionally hunt small birds and reptiles. For the most part, they lead a sedentary lifestyle, although they often wander in search of favorable feeding conditions. In clutch there are 6 to 8 eggs (record -14), which are incubated by the female. The incubation process is very long - more than a month. The chicks spend twice as much time in the nest until they fully fledge and stand on the wing.

The voice of the common barn owl is rather hoarse. For him, these owls were named barn owls. If you are lucky enough to see a barn owl in the wild, it is unlikely that she will be happy with you - it will begin to swing from side to side and click its beak quite loudly - it will scare you. In addition to these sounds, barn owls can make a hiss. During the breeding season, males screech, snore and hoot. Barn owls fly silently. Flight feathers extinguish sharp eddies of air. They hunt at night. Sleep in the afternoon. Usually in hollows, but they can climb into the old tower and under the roof of an abandoned house. The chicks on the wing begin to suffer from a passion for vagrancy. Sometimes they fly away from the nest very far - they are looking for their plots for housing.

The common barn owl is well known to the inhabitants of Western European countries, however, little is known about it in Russia. This is the most ancient branch of the order of owls. Its Latin name sounds like Tyto alba, and its English name is Barn owl. The people called her a night owl, a ghostly and screaming owl. Its distinctive features are its distinctive voice and head shape. Who is the barn owl, and what kind of life does she lead? Let's talk in more detail in this article about one of the most common owls in the world.

Barn owl: description

The name of this apparently comes from the peculiarity of her voice, reminiscent of a kind of snoring or vulture. It differs from other representatives of owls in the shape of a face disc in the form of a heart, while it seems that she is wearing a white mask. The small bird has a light color and a peculiar face. It is about the same size as a long-eared owl or jackdaw. Its length reaches 33-39 cm, its body weight is 300-355 g, and its wingspan is about 90 cm. By the way, its weight can vary widely and depends individually on a particular individual. It can be either 180 g or 700 g.

In the upper part, its color has acquired a sandy (red) color with white and dark specks. The barn owl is white in the lower part (less often yellow), in addition to this, dark blotches are present in the plumage. The facial disc is light and has a flattened appearance; it also has an ocher border; there is a small area of ​​red feathers under the eyes. The wings are pale white, with a golden streaky pattern. - dark brown or black. Her eyes are expressive and large. She has a slender physique, and she also has long legs, which have thick and fluffy plumage up to the toes. She has a short tail. The beak is yellowish white. By the way, the color of the lower part depends on the habitat of the barn owl. For example, in North Africa, Western and Southern Europe, in the Middle East it is white, but in the rest of Europe it is yellow-orange.

By gender, they practically do not differ from each other. Females are slightly darker, but this is not particularly noticeable. Young chicks also do not differ from adults, sometimes they are more variegated.

As we noticed, such a bird as a barn owl has a very memorable appearance, the photo clearly demonstrates this to us.

Habitat

The common barn owl is 35 subspecies, which are distributed across all continents, excluding only Antarctica, they are also found on the islands. Previously, she could be found in the Baltic States and other CIS countries: now she lives there in small numbers. On the territory of Russia, it is found only in the Kaliningrad region. In the European part, it is absent in the northern regions and mountain ranges.

On the one hand, the common barn owl is adapted to various geographical conditions, as it is widespread almost everywhere, and on the other hand, it does not have the ability to accumulate fat reserves in itself, therefore it does not tolerate the harsh climate. In the northern regions of the United States and in most of Canada, in Northern Europe and practically throughout the territory of Russia, for this reason, it does not exist. The bird cannot live in African and Asian deserts either.

There were cases when the barn owl was artificially populated by humans in areas where it had never been. Thus, she appeared in the Seychelles and Hawaiian Islands, in New Zealand. After the barn owl was settled in the Seychelles, the population of the kestrel, which it fed on, began to decline.

Favorite places to stay

The barn owl almost always settles near human dwellings. It nests both in large cities and in countryside... Likes to settle in attics, in hollows and wall niches. Prefers rooftops and abandoned buildings. Most often, the barn owl is found in open plains where there are few trees. These can be places such as woodlands, swamps, dense meadows, birds also live along wastelands, reservoirs, ravines and highways.

It can often be found where agricultural farms and human habitations are located. The barn owl tries to avoid dense forests and mountainous areas. For this bird, the following conditions for distribution are necessary: ​​availability of food, the absence of cold winters and weak competition with other predators. Basically, they do not change their habitat, exceptions are situations when the food supply in their habitat is depleted.

What does he eat?

Her most favorite food is mouse-like rodents, she can also cope with a herd (large She can catch up to 15 mice per night. small birds, in particular, sparrows, as well as large and amphibious insects. Rats, voles, hamsters, shrews, opossums can be used as food. They can also catch bats, frogs, reptiles and invertebrates. The owl grabs the victim right on the fly, clamps it with its tenacious claws and carries it to a place where it can safely eat it.

The peculiarities of the location of the hearing aid allow the bird to catch all the sounds that the prey makes, which helps it a lot when hunting. Her ears have an asymmetrical arrangement: one of them is at the level of the nostrils, and the other is in the forehead.

The characteristic voice of a barn owl

She lets out a husky, whispering rattling sound. Barn owls defiantly flap their wings and snap their beaks. By the way, this feature of them can inevitably terrify people who decided to relax in the forest silence and met with her. Many sounds have been noted emitted by this owl, but still the predominant one is a hoarse, shrill warble, which can be heard during its flight. The cry of a female barn owl is lower in tone.

By the way, she got her Russian for a low, rattling, hoarse cry that sounds like "heee". They publish it more often than the usual hooting of an owl. Her peculiar hoarse voice resembles a hoarse cough.

Nocturnal lifestyle

She flies out to hunt in late twilight and is strictly nocturnal. As a rule, they live alone, but can be found in small groups in places of congestion of game. Since barn owls lead at night, they sleep off during the day. They choose a niche for sleeping, natural or artificial - it can be a hole in the ground or an unused attic.

During the hunt, they change altitude - they go up, then go down again, flying around the property. They can also wait for a victim, hiding in ambush. Their wings are designed in such a way that their flight is as quiet and soft as possible, and they also have excellent eyesight and hearing. By the way, in some regions, barn owls hunt during the day, for example, in Britain, but at this time of day they are in danger in the form of birds of prey, such as, for example, seagulls.

The barn owl kills its prey with its claws, then steps on it with a long leg and tears it apart with its beak. It has a very mobile neck, thanks to which it can eat its prey, practically without bending over. During a meal, the feathers of the facial disc move, and it seems that the owls are grimacing.

Reproduction

The common barn owl is usually monogamous, but cases of polygamy are also not excluded. One, rarely two clutches occur per year. The beginning of the breeding season usually depends on the climatic conditions of the habitat and the amount of food. In warmer regions and where there is a lot of food, they can breed at any time of the year. For example, in the temperate zone of Europe or North America, it starts in March-June. If re-clutching takes place, then hatching of chicks will take place during the period March-May and June-August.

The male himself chooses the place where the nest will be, and then begins to call the female. As such, the nest is not built; for this, a closed and dark place is chosen. This can be a recess in an old stump, a hollow of a tree and other niches. The female is engaged in incubating eggs, while the male brings her food. The nest is located at a height of 2-20 meters above the ground, the clutch size is usually 4-7 eggs, but can be from 2 to 14. There are more of them, as a rule, during periods of abundance of food. The size of eggs, which are white or cream colored, averages 30-35 mm.

During the breeding season, birds make various sounds. They shriek and hoarsely scream, hoot and sniff, making a characteristic "heee" sound. The rest of the time, as a rule, owls are silent. The female incubates eggs for about a month. Juveniles fly out of the nest at 50-55 days of life.

By the way, a pair of owls remains together until the death of one of the partners. The female and the male live close to each other, but separately.

Behavior in times of danger

In a calm state, a sitting barn owl keeps its body straight, and if the bird is worried, it takes a threatening pose - spreads its paws, spreads its wings in a horizontal plane and sticks to the ground. When she meets the violator of her territorial possessions, she actively flaps her wings, approaching closer and closer to the enemy. Loudly hisses and clicks beak. If this does not help, then she attacks the enemy, falling on his back and striking blows with clawed paws.

Barn owl chicks

The hatched chicks are completely dependent on their parents, who feed them in turn. At birth, they are covered with thick white down. In the event that it is very cold, the barn owl does not leave the nest at all and warms the chicks, which become completely independent after three months. Grown chicks fly away to new places and find themselves another territory for habitation and reproduction. A barn owl can even have 10 chicks at a time, if conditions allow, but in a hungry year, as a rule, no more than 4 eggs are expected.

It is noted that the behavior of their chicks is not typical for birds: they show altruism, refusing food in favor of those who are more hungry than they are. In comparison with most other birds, in which the young literally rip out food from each other in order to feed themselves, this fact arouses great interest in such a bird as the barn owl. A photo of her chicks shows how they look when they are born.

Parents show concern even after their chicks fly out of the nest: they continue to care for them and feed them until they become completely independent, that is, they do not reach the age of three months.

Attitude of people

The barn owl has always been a symbol of wisdom among people, but at the same time they treated this bird with superstitious fear. Now superstitions are a thing of the past, and people are increasingly showing genuine interest in it. Barn owls instilled fear in people because of some of their features: a white face resembling a mask, frightening sounds, and also because of the habit of this bird to fly up silently and abruptly appear in front of a man, for which people called her a ghostly owl.

The barn owl mainly feeds on rodents, thereby benefiting humans. People have long appreciated the help of these owls in the destruction of pests. So, in the 17th century, such a practice spread, when special windows were made in houses, barns, mills and other buildings through which barn owls could penetrate and destroy rodents. In this way, the birds also remained full, and benefits were brought to man.

If they notice people nearby, they begin to behave very interestingly: they rise high, swing on their feet in different directions and at the same time depict various grimaces. If you come very close to her, then she, as a rule, flies away.

How long does a barn owl live?

Under natural conditions, barn owls can live up to 18 years, but this is the maximum figure. In fact, it turns out that they live mostly very short - their average life expectancy is about 2 years. Cases were recorded when the barn owl was able to live in natural conditions up to 17 years, in North America a bird in captivity died at the age of 11.5 years, but in England a record was broken - the bird lived in captivity for 22 years.

We talked about such interesting bird, like a barn owl, about what habits it has and how it is useful for humans. Unfortunately, due to changes in the environment and the use of pesticides in various parts of Europe, the number of barn owls is decreasing. Also, there are frequent cases of death of birds from collisions with cars on highways. At present, the barn owl is a bird that is listed in the Red Data Books of a number of Eastern European countries, where, for some unknown reason, its number has been rapidly decreasing in recent decades.

An owl is a bird of prey, belongs to the order of owls (Strigiformes or Striges), in which 2 families are distinguished:

• owl or true owls (these include the birth of the tawny owl, eagle owls, long-eared owls and scops owls)
• barn owls (these include the genus of barn owls and the genus of masked barn owls)

Owl paws are very strong and grippy, feathered in many species. Owl claws sharp and curved, they help her quickly grab the victim and hold her. The flight of an owl is almost silent, this is due to the special structure of the feathers. The first outer feathers are sawtooth and fringed serrated. The third and fourth feathers of the owl are longer than the rest. The tail is rounded and cropped, and the tail feathers are curved. An owl has a wingspan of about 142-200 centimeters. These birds fly very fast: the speed of an owl in flight reaches 80 km / h.

The bird emits a characteristic clicking sound when irritated or agitated. It turns out she does it thanks to her beak. The owl's beak is bent from the beginning to the very base, ends with a crochet, the edges are even and without cutouts.

Owls can turn their heads 180 and even 270 degrees without causing themselves any inconvenience or harm. The owl bird is a predator, and it needs to track down prey, so the eyes are located not on the sides, but in front.

The owl's eyes are motionless and only look straight ahead. To change the direction of gaze, the bird needs to turn its head. At the same time, the angle of view of the owl is 160 degrees, and its vision is binocular, unlike other birds. The owl's world is seen in black and white. The lens of owls is not in the eyeball, but in the horn tube, so birds can see perfectly at night.

An owl's hearing is 4 times better than that of a cat. As soon as the prey betrays itself with a rustle or sound, the bird rushes at it with lightning speed.

Owl types, names and photos

In the owl family, there are 3 subfamilies, 30 genera and 214 species, the most common of which are:

• Long-eared owl ( Asio otus)

The bird is 31-36 centimeters long. The wingspan reaches 86-98 cm. The color of this species of owl is dominated by a gray-brown shade with variegated spots, the chest is white. Dark spots are located on the upper side of the body, transverse stripes stand out on the lower side. On the head of a long-eared owl are large ear tufts, which consist of six feathers.

It lives in coniferous forests, prefers European countries or the north of Asia as nesting places, flies to the north of Africa for wintering. The long-eared owl feeds on rodents, mice, voles, insects and birds.

• Great gray owl ( Strix nebulosa)

A large bird with a length of 80 cm and a wingspan of 1.5 meters. The large-headed bird has a smoky gray color. There are dark stripes around the owl's yellow eyes.

The owl feeds on rodents and squirrels. Chooses nests of hawks and buzzards for nesting, does not build nests itself. The black spot under the bird's beak looks like a beard, hence the name of the bird. The bird has no feather ears; there is a white collar on the neck. The underside of the wings hides dark stripes.

The Great Gray Owl lives in the taiga and mountain forests in the Baltic countries, in the European part of Russia, in Siberia, on Sakhalin, in Mongolia.

• Owl ( Bubo bubo)

It has a length of 60-75 cm, a wingspan of 160-190 cm. The weight of the male owl reaches 2.1-2.7 kg, the weight of females is 3-3.2 kg. The eagle owl is the largest bird of the owl order. The plumage of the predator is dominated by reddish and buffy colors, the owl's eyes are bright orange, and there are bundles of elongated feathers above the eyes.

Eagle owls live in the forests and steppes of Eurasia, hunt rodents, mice, crows, hedgehogs, hares, birds and other vertebrates.

• Sparrow Owl ( Glaucidium passerinum)

The body length of the owl is 15-19 cm, the wingspan reaches 35-40 cm. The weight reaches 55-80 g. At the same time, males are smaller than females. The color of the owl is gray-brown or dark brown; white specks are clearly distinguished on the feathers, larger on the back and small on the head. The bottom of the bird is white with longitudinal brown stripes. The tail is gray-brown with 5 narrow stripes. The head is small and has a round and slightly flattened shape; the owl has no ears. White and brown rings are located around the eyes of a passerine owl. The bird's eyes are yellow, with white eyebrows above the eyes. Owl's claws are black or yellow in color. Feathers are fully feathered, up to the claws.

• Little owl ( Athene noctua)

A small bird with a length of 25 cm and a weight of about 150-170 g. The color of the plumage of females and males is the same. The back of the bird is light brown or sandy in color. Brown longitudinal variegated spots stand out on the white belly of the owl. Round white spots are located on the shoulder feathers.

The little owl lives in the south and center of Europe, in the north of Africa and in southern Asian countries. In Russia, the owl is found mainly in the center and in the south of the European part, in southern Altai and Transbaikalia. Birds live in steppe and desert areas, build nests in rocks and holes. The little owl feeds on insects, lizards, rodents, and sometimes birds.

• Barn owl ( Tyto alba)

It differs from other types of owls in a heart-shaped facial disc. The length of the barn owl reaches 34-39 centimeters with a wingspan of 80-95 cm. The weight of the bird of prey is 190-700 grams. The color of the barn owl is red with numerous transverse specks, stripes and specks. In this case, the color depends on the habitat of the bird. The tail of the bird is short. The ears of a barn owl have an unusual asymmetrical arrangement: if the left one is at the level of the forehead, then the right one approaches the area of ​​the nostrils. Thanks to this feature, the bird hears very well.

The barn owl lives on all continents except cold Antarctica. In Russia, he lives only on the territory of the Kaliningrad region.

• White owl (snowy owl) ( Bubo scandiacus, Nyctea scandiaca)

It has a body length of 55 to 70 cm, the weight of a bird is 2-3 kg. The wingspan reaches 143-166 cm. The color of the bird living in the tundra zone serves as a camouflage for it, therefore white colors with dark spots prevail in it. The beak of the polar owl is black, the eyes are bright yellow. Paws of the predator are completely pubescent.

The snowy owl lives in Eurasia, North America, Greenland, on the islands of the Arctic Ocean. The snowy owl feeds on rodents, lemmings, hares, ermines, ptarmigan, geese, ducks, fish. White owls are listed in the Red Book.

• Hawk owl ( Surnia ulula)

It is found in forest regions in Europe, North America and Asia. In Russia, it is found in Kamchatka, in the Magadan region, in Chukotka, on the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. It feeds on rodents (mice, lemmings, voles), sometimes hunts squirrels, hazel grouses, black grouse, partridges and other birds.

The length of the bird reaches 45 cm. The tail of the bird is long, the color is brown-brown with the presence of white spots, thin stripes are located at the bottom of the body. The eyes and beak of a hawk owl are yellow.

Where do owls live?

Owls live all over the world, you cannot find them only in Antarctica. 17 species of owls live in Russia. A large number of these birds can be found in forests, and only a few of them live in open areas.

Basically, the owl lives in hollows and nests. The eagle owl finds a home almost everywhere: in forests, mountains, steppes and deserts. The long-eared owl lives in all kinds of fields, as it hunts in open areas, but creates its nests only in the forest. The white owl lives in the tundra, flies far to the south in winter, does not like wooded places. The Great Gray Owl lives only in dense taiga forests. Owl species such as the barn owl and the little owl find a home under roofs and attics.

What does an owl eat?

The question of what an owl bird eats in nature is of interest to many people. This bird, both in its natural habitat and in captivity, eats rodents, small birds, insects, animals. The diet depends on the owl's habitat. Medium and large owls feed on rats, mice, lemmings, hedgehogs, lizards, shrews, hares, frogs, toads, bats, moles, snakes, chickens. Little owls eat mainly insects (beetles, grasshoppers), while birds living in coastal areas eat fish, crabs and mussels. Owls found in tropical countries eat fruits, plants and berries. An owl bird can live for several months without water, quenching its thirst with the blood of its victims.

Breeding owls

Owls form monogamous pairs. A pair of owls does not build their nest, they occupy crevices, hollows or nests abandoned by other birds. Short-eared owls build their nests on the ground in dense vegetation. Owls can breed one or more times a year, it all depends on the amount of food in the habitat. A clutch can contain from 3 to 10 eggs. Owl eggs are white, spherical and relatively small. The eggs are incubated by a female owl. The male owl is involved in feeding the offspring. Chicks of different ages often live in the nest. Parents feed all the offspring, but give most of the older owls. Older owl chicks, with a lack of food, can even eat their younger counterparts.

There are also some difficulties with owl nutrition, the digestive system of this bird is designed in such a way that it needs to eat a whole carcass of a mouse or bird. It is logical that meat feeding will disappear, get ready to purchase mice.

Also, pay special attention to the choice of the type of owl; for a standard city apartment, a long-eared or short-eared owl is suitable. There will be little room for owls and owls, even if you have a wide apartment or house.

What is the difference between an owl and an owl?

The eagle owl is a bird of prey from the order of owls, the owl family. Refers to the genus of owls. This bird differs from other species of owls in its appearance. First, the eagle owl has the largest size compared to other owls. The head of the owl is rather large and has characteristic features: in the area of ​​the auditory openings, there are short hard feathers resembling auricles. The owl has a characteristic color of feathers, a reddish-fawn color. There are clear dark stripes on the head and back.

Secondly, unlike many species of owls that hunt only at night, the owl is a day bird and sees well during the day.

Owls prey mainly on small rodents and insects, while the owl hunts pheasants, hares and young roe deer. This type of prey lives mainly in the steppe zone. In such places, it is convenient for the owl to go hunting because of the large wingspan.

• The owl's cry serves the bird for different purposes. There is a cry similar to the dialogue between two males. There is a call-up cry during the mating season. Little owls make sounds to indicate their location.
• In ancient times, owls were feared, they were considered a bad sign, associated with mystical events, so these birds were persecuted.
• In Egypt, owls were treated with care, respect and even mummified.
• Found a Babylonian bas-relief, which depicts owls: they are on the sides, and in the center is a woman with owl's wings and paws. It is believed that this is one of the goddesses, and the owls are her guards or companions. In addition to the dark and mystical symbol, the owl was a symbol of intelligence and wisdom.
• In Christianity, the cry of an owl was considered a song of death. It symbolized desolation, loneliness, sorrow and solitude. For the Slavs, the owl bird was the keeper of underground treasures, the sign of the widow and foreshadowed fire or death, the owl was ranked among demonic and unclean forces.

Taxonomy

Russian name - ordinarybarn owl
Latin name - Tyto alba
English name - Barn owl
Bird class - Aves
Order - owls (Strigiformes)
Family - Barn owl (Tytonidae)
Genus - barn owl (Tyto)

Barn owls are the most ancient branch of the order of owls, as evidenced by the richness of fossil forms. Now they have survived only in the form of a small relict group.

Conservation status of the species

The barn owl is not a threatened species, but the decline in normal nesting sites is a serious threat to it. In the East of Europe in recent decades, for unknown reasons, there has been a catastrophic decline in the number of barn owls. The species almost disappeared from the Baltic countries and Belarus, became rare in Ukraine and Moldova. Now the common barn owl is listed in the Red Data Books of a number of Eastern European countries.

View and person

Barn owls often gravitate towards human dwellings, settling in attics, outbuildings, ruins, churches, and bell towers. It is not for nothing that in English “barn owl” is translated as “barn owl”. In cities where there are always a lot of rats and mice, barn owls always easily find food for themselves. And besides, "urban" barn owls have learned to hunt nocturnal insects and bats in the light of lanterns.

Like other species of owls, people have always treated barn owls with superstitious fear, especially since they were most often seen near their homes. And like other owls, barn owls were a symbol of wisdom. Now superstitions about owls, fortunately, are a thing of the past, and people treat these birds with obvious sympathy. And the role of barn owls in the fight against urban rodents is obvious and uncontested.

Distribution and habitats

The barn owl is one of the most common birds in the world. It is found on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica, and on many islands, including remote ones. However, the barn owl does not tolerate the cold northern climate, so it does not occur in the northern regions of Canada and Northern Europe... The barn owl was successfully introduced (settled) on many remote islands: Hawaiian, Seychelles, New Zealand. However, the introduction of the barn owl to the Seychelles in 1949 showed how fragile the natural balance is and how easy it is to disturb it. The fact is that the barn owl in the Seychelles began to hunt not only rats, but also the endemic Seychelles kestrel, the number of which began to decline sharply.

More than 30 subspecies of barn owls are distinguished on the territory of the vast range.

In our country, the barn owl is found only in the Kaliningrad region.

The barn owl lives in a variety of biotopes, avoiding only dense forests. This is one of the few bird species that has benefited economic activity people on deforestation and development Agriculture, since this expanded the food base and made it possible to settle very widely. The barn owl willingly settles next to a person's dwelling.

Appearance and morphology

The barn owl is a slender owl with long legs. It is this, somewhat "elongated" upward shape of the barn owl that differs from all other owls. The body length is 33–39 cm, the wingspan is 80–95 cm, the average weight is 300–400 g. The plumage is very soft and fluffy. The upper part of the body is usually buffy-red, with transverse gray streaks and numerous small dark stripes and specks. The bottom is golden-red with a rare dark speck. The face disc is white and heart-shaped, which also immediately distinguishes the barn owl from other owls.

Males and females almost do not differ in color from each other.

Feeding and feeding behavior

The basis of the diet of the barn owl is made up of various murine rodents and shrews. However, she catches birds, including predatory, and bats, and frogs, and insects. During the hunt, the owl either flies around its possessions, constantly changing the height - up and down, or waits for the victim from an ambush. The flight of the barn owl is soft and noiseless, since the wings are designed so that the ends of the flight feathers dampen the sound of flight.

The barn owls kill their prey with their claws, and then, stepping on it with their long leg, tear it apart with their beak. Their necks are so mobile that they can eat practically without bending over their prey. While eating, the feathers of the owl's facial disc move all the time when opening and closing the mouth, so it seems that the barn owls are constantly grimacing while eating.

Vocalization

The voice of the barn owl - a special hoarse "heee" - gave rise to the Russian name for the bird. In general, the most "talkative" barn owls are during the nesting period. At this time, they scream hoarsely or shrilly and hoot. Outside the breeding season, barn owls are usually silent. In addition to vocal sounds, they sometimes flap their beaks or flap their wings demonstratively.

Lifestyle and social structure

Barn owls are solitary, but in places rich in prey, they can keep in small groups. This is one of the most "nocturnal" owls. Barn owls sleep during the day, and for the night they choose some natural or artificial niche: a hollow, a hole or an old attic in the house. They live, as a rule, sedentary, but in the absence of prey ("not mice years") they can migrate to a new place.

Meeting the violator of their territorial possessions, the barn owl spreads its wings and flaps them, approaching the enemy close. At this time, the owl hisses loudly and clicks its beak. The barn owl does not have a threat pose such as that of other owls. Instead, it spreads its wings in a horizontal plane and lies down, nestling against the ground with tightly pressed plumage. If such a demonstration does not help, the barn owl can attack the enemy, falling on his back and striking with clawed legs.

When a person approaches, the barn owls usually rise high on their long legs and gently sway, while actively moving the feathers of the facial disc, "grimacing", and then fly away
The eyesight of the barn owls is very well developed, they see perfectly both in the dark and in bright light.

Hearing, like all other owls, is also perfectly developed. The ears are located asymmetrically on the sides of the head, the left one is higher, the right one is lower. This structure of the hearing aid helps birds to hear sounds made by potential prey from different angles. The short thick feathers that surround the face disc are good sound reflectors. Barn owls are very susceptible to all sound signals, and in the case of too loud a sound, they cover the ear openings with a kind of plugs covered with small feathers.

Reproduction and parenting behavior

Since barn owls live in different climatic conditions, their breeding season falls on different time... In the tropics, there is no seasonality of breeding at all; in temperate latitudes, owls start breeding in March-April.

Barn owls are monogamous, but sometimes there are cases of polygamy (1 male and several females). They nest in separate pairs, in natural conditions - in hollows, holes, nests of other birds; barn owls do not build their own nests. In an anthropogenic landscape, they nest in attics, bell towers, and barns. Nests are located at different heights, but usually no higher than 20 m above the ground.

With the onset of the mating season, the male flies around the tree chosen for the nest, making sharp hoarse sounds in order to attract the attention of the female. Then he begins to chase the female, and during the chase, both birds already scream hoarsely together. After mating, the female lays 4–8 (in “mouse years” up to 16) rather small oblong eggs (other owls have round eggs), white or cream colored. Eggs are laid at intervals of 1 or 2 days. The incubation period lasts 29–34 days, only the female incubates, and the male feeds her all this time. The hatched chicks are covered with thick white fluff and are completely helpless. Parents bring them food in turn. After 35–45 days, the chicks leave the nest, and at the age of 50–55 days they begin to fly. They become completely independent at the age of 3 months, and then scatter. The last week of life with their parents, the young hunt with them, adopting the hunting experience of the elders. Barn owls are characterized by a very large radius of spread of young - hundreds and even thousands of kilometers.

In "mouse years", barn owls, even in temperate latitudes, can have 2 successful clutches per season.

Juveniles can begin to reproduce as early as 10 months of age.

Life span

According to ringing data, barn owls can live in nature up to 18 years, but their average life expectancy is much shorter - about 2 years. However, there are also "champion" results: in North America, the barn owl lived in captivity for 11 years 6 months; in Holland, the barn owl lived in nature until 17 years old and the record holder is a barn owl from England, who lived in captivity for 22 years.

Keeping animals in the Moscow Zoo

In our zoo, barn owls live in the "Night World" pavilion, which, of course, is optimal for this species. Now 5 birds are kept there. At the exposition you can always see 1 pair, the rest "rest" in a non-exposition room, once a year the birds are changed. Most barn owls are obtained from nature. One pair of barn owls breeds regularly, they already had 4 broods. They incubate the clutch and feed the chicks themselves.

The barn owl's diet at the zoo consists of 6 mice daily.

The barn owl belongs to the order owls and forms a separate genus. The most common type is called barn owl... The bird is a real predator with long legs, wings and a body length of 25-50 cm. Weight ranges from 200 to 800 grams. Females are larger and weigh 10% more. The habitat extends to North and South America, Africa, Europe, Australia. In Asia, the bird lives on the Arabian Peninsula, India and the southeastern regions of the continent. This population is not found in China, Mongolia, Japan and Korea.

The plumage is soft and fluffy. The head and upper body are light brown or dark gray in color. The general background is diluted with dark specks. The chest and abdomen are white and have many small dark spots. Birds with a pale yellow belly come across. The muzzle is white. Reddish feathers are observed under the eyes. The iris is black-brown. The nails are black, the toes are dark pink. The beak is pale yellow. Outwardly, males and females are similar to each other. Owl and barn owl differ in the shape and color of the facial disc. In the latter, it has a heart-shaped shape.

Reproduction and life expectancy

Breeding season in temperate zones is in March and early April. If food is plentiful, then there are two broods per year. The male determines the place for the nest. It should be dark and hidden from prying eyes. Birds, as a rule, use caves, abandoned mines, hollows of trees, burrows in a steep bank. The nest is set as high as possible above the ground. In clutch there are 4 to 7 eggs. The incubation period lasts a month. The female incubates, and the male brings food.

The hatched chicks sit in the nest for a month and a half. They become on the wing 50 days after birth. They leave their parents and become independent at 3 months. In the first year of life, about 70% of all young birds die. This figure is decreasing every year. Most barn owls live to be 11 years old. In captivity, under favorable conditions, they can live 25-30 years.

Behavior and nutrition

During the hunt, the bird flies low above the ground. Occasionally hovers over places where potential prey may be hiding. Often sits in ambush. The flight is silent. Prefers to hunt at night. During the day, he usually sleeps in a sheltered and dark place. Lives alone outside the nesting period. It feeds on rodents. One barn owl eats several rodents per day. A bird of prey needs more than 1000 rodents per year.

Small prey is torn to pieces and eaten together with bones and wool. A large victim weighing 100 grams or more is dismembered. Inedible parts are discarded. Birds make up up to 20% of the diet. Termites, grasshoppers, crickets, bats and toads are also eaten. The bird's hearing is ideal due to the asymmetrical location of the ears, the eyesight is sharp. The location of the victim is determined with amazing accuracy both under the snow and in the thick grass. An owl differs from a barn owl in a lower metabolic rate. Therefore, the latter needs more food for the same weight. Accordingly, rodents are exterminated mercilessly. This population is sedentary. Only in the period of starvation do birds change their habitat.

Enemies

Owls, eagles and hawks do the main damage to barn owls. Ground predators, snakes and wild cats attack. But the main danger comes from people who distribute various chemicals to protect their crops. In Europe, there are about 300 thousand of these birds. In the United States, in 7 states, this population is classified as endangered. In general, birds are quite plentiful. They outnumber owls.