![Barn Owl](https://blairdrummond-bucket.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/live/uploads/2021/04/19153654/peak.jpeg)
Barn Owl
Let's learn
The Barn Owl is one of the most widespread land birds in the world, with many different sub-species. They prefer wooded areas and grassland and like to nest in derelict farm buildings and barns, which is how they earned their name. The feathers on their heart-shaped faces (facial disks) cleverly funnel sound to their ears, so they can hear their prey from a distance, and their soft feathers allow them to fly in total silence. Barn owls usually eat small mammals like mice and rats, but they’ll occasionally eat amphibians too.
Conservation status | Least concern
Fact Sheet
Scientific name
Tyto alba
Family
Tytonidae
Order
Strigiformes
Lifespan
4 years in the wild or up to 25 years in captivity