Common Barn Owl

Barn Owl

Phylum : Chordata
Class : Aves
Order : Strigiformes
Family : Tytonidae
Genus : Tyto
Species : T. alba

Length : 15in (38cm)
Wingspan : 43in (110cm)

IUCN Status : Least Concern

Did you know that the Common Barn Owl is one of the most widespread of all bird species? They are found on every single continent except Antarctica, as well as on a whole mess of different islands. They live in pretty much any type of habitat, though open woodland areas with hollow trees to roost in are preferred.

Common Barn Owls also go by a huge number of other names, including White Owl, Church Owl, and Monkey-Faced Owl. There are also over two dozen different subspecies that vary in size, color, and location. Overall though, the species is known for their white, heart shaped faces.

Common Barn Owls are masters of rodent hunting, so much so that their breeding seasons can be dictated by an overabundance of prey. They hunt by flying low and slowly, and then swooping down and grabbing the small mammals with their long talons. Barn Owls are nocturnal and have superb vision in low light.

Unfortunately, the species is not especially long lived in the wild. Due to predation their life expectancy is only a few years. In captivity that can actually live much, much longer, as long as 20-25 years!

Common Barn Owl

Barn Owl

Phylum : Chordata

Class : Aves

Order : Strigiformes

Family : Tytonidae

Genus : Tyto

Species : T. alba



Length : 15in (38cm)

Wingspan : 43in (110cm)



IUCN Status : Least Concern



Did you know that the Common Barn Owl is one of the most widespread of all bird species? They are found on every single continent except Antarctica, as well as on a whole mess of different islands. They live in pretty much any type of habitat, though open woodland areas with hollow trees to roost in are preferred.



Common Barn Owls also go by a huge number of other names, including White Owl, Church Owl, and Monkey-Faced Owl. There are also over two dozen different subspecies that vary in size, color, and location. Overall though, the species is known for their white, heart shaped faces.



Common Barn Owls are masters of rodent hunting, so much so that their breeding seasons can be dictated by an overabundance of prey. They hunt by flying low and slowly, and then swooping down and grabbing the small mammals with their long talons. Barn Owls are nocturnal and have superb vision in low light.



Unfortunately, the species is not especially long lived in the wild. Due to predation their life expectancy is only a few years. In captivity that can actually live much, much longer, as long as 20-25 years!

Elf Owl

(Image Source)

Elf Owls (Micrathene whitneyi) are very small Owls that live in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Their habitats include riparian woodlands, brushland, and desert. Nests are often built within old Woodpecker-created cavities, and are found in either trees or large, saguaro cacti. They are nocturnal birds, and possess excellent eyesight and hearing.

Elf Owls are one of the smallest of the Owl species, growing to about the size of a sparrow. They measure about 5in (13cm) long, and sport a 9in (23cm) wingspan. Elf Owls have rounded heads with no ear tufts, and sport greyish-brown plumage and white "eyebrows." They are also identified by their distinctive vocalizations.

Due to their size, Elf Owls hunt only very small prey- almost exclusively arthropods. They do most of their capturing while in mid-flight, as they are very agile flyers.  Prey is then brought back to a perch, torn apart, and consumed.  Elf Owls themselves have numerous predators, including other Owls, Coyotes, and Snakes. They built their nests as high up as possible in order to keep away from danger.

Loss of Habitat has decreased the population in some areas, and the Elf Owl is now listed as endangered in the state of California. Reintroduction efforts have been ongoing throughout their range.

Blakiston's Fish Owl

The Blakiston's Fish Owl might possibly be the largest of all the owl species. Bubo blakistoni weighs a massive 4kg and sports a wingspan of up to 190cm. They live in one very specific area in the entire world, namely a small little chunk of Northeast Asia. Their are two subspecies, one that lives on the mainland in areas that are part of Russia and China, and one on the northern Japanese islands and Russia's Kuril Islands. Their may be birds in North Korea, but the nature of that political situation makes it difficult to go in and get an estimate.

(Image Source)

Blakiston's Fish Owls are quite endangered. There are only a few thousand left, if that, and the island subspecies is down to only a few hundred. This decline in population has been a result of habitat loss. Blakiston's Fish Owls live in very old, dense forests that are near large rivers, and this type of habitat has been on the decline due to construction and forest clearing. Another major threat to these birds is general human encroachment. Birds in Japan sometimes get hit by cars or trapped in power lines.

Despite the name,  Blakiston's Fish Owls eat more than fish. They also feed off of small mammals, waterfowl, crustaceans, and amphibians. The most common hunting tactic observed is dropping down on prey from a low perch. Small meals are brought back to a perch and consumed, while larger targets will be partially consumed on the spot.

Blakiston's Fish Owls mate for life, and each breeding pair inhabits a specific territory. They are believed to non-migratory over large distances, though they might make small, seasonally based movements.. They pair does not breed each year, and it is suspected that breeding is dictated by environmental factors. One or two eggs are laid at a time, and the female incubates while the male hunts and brings back food. After the eggs have hatched, both parents take turns hunting. Chicks fledge around 50 days.

Blakiston's Fish Owls are protected by the nations that they are native to, and there are a handful of captive breeding and release programs. A major problem in their conservation is that despite the fact that the birds are protected, their habitat is not. A national park has been proposed for part of their Russian range, but as of right now it is only a suggestion.

Snowy Owl

Snowy Owls (Bubo scandiaca) go by a variety of different names: Artic Owl, Great White Owl, Ghost Owl, or my personal favorite, the White Terror of the North! Even their scientific name was a bit up for grabs, as for years they were classified as the sole extant species within the genus Nyctea. But now, thanks to the magic of *science*, they are now classified with the Great Horned Owls within the genus Bubo.

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Snowy Owls are large, diurnal owls that can be found in Arctic and Sub-Arctic regions across the planet. As their name might suggest, they are white birds as adults. Younger birds have some darker coloration, as do the adult females. (In the Harry Potter films, Hedwig was played by a male owl, as the females have more dark spots)

They are a very nomadic species, as in, individual birds do not live in the same area their entire lives. They follow the prey. Many birds also have separate breeding and wintering grounds. Because they breed in open tundras, their nests are built on the group and are vigilantly defended... even from much larger animals like wolves. Because Snowy Owls do not hunt near their nest, other birds species sometimes move in for the protection, as the Owls will drive off other predators in order to protect their eggs.

Snowy Owls hunt by waiting, usually on hills or outcroppings. They sit still until seeing a potential prey object, and they swoop down to capture it either directly from the air, off the ground, or from the water. They feed on small mammals, including hares, voles, and lemmings. Fish, and various bird species are also hunted. After catching their target, they bring it to the ground, flip it over, and break its neck with their beaks to kill it. Snowy Owls will swallow whole anything that they can, but larger prey is torn up and carried off in pieces. When prey is swallow whole and a lot of roughage is consume, more pellets are created.

Northern Saw-Whet Owl

Also known as the Acadian Owl, Blind Owl, Sparrow Owl and about a dozen other names, the Northern Saw-Whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) is a relatively tiny little guy who measures only 8.5in in length and possesses a 20in wingspan. They are native to North America, and some, but not all, are migratory.

Image from Idaho Birding Trail

Northern Saw-Whet Owls are identified by their already mentioned small bodies, their lack of ear tufts, and their proportionally large heads. They are chestnut brown with various white markings, including a Y that forms over their eyes. Their large eyes are yellow, and the beaks are black. Northern Saw-Whet Owls are so named because one of their calls is said to resemble the sound of whetting a saw. They are quite vocal during the breeding season, but remain silent during the rest of the year.

As far as diet is concerned, the Northern Saw-Whet Owl really loves its rodents. Typically 70% to 80% of their diet consists of mice and voles, with the rest being filled in my insects, spiders, other birds, and even marine crustaceans. Larger prey, including mice, is consumed in two different meals, as it is possible for the owls to choke while attempting to consume their prey whole. Hunting takes place at night with help from night vision and superb hearing. They stake out their prey from low perches (6-12 feet above the ground) before silently swooping in.

Northern Saw-Whet Owls are monogamous, but not for life. Males attract females with their lovely singing voices, and will take them to the nest sites they have selected before doing a little head bobbing dance. Nests are built in tree cavities, and the female watches over the eggs while the male performs all of the hunting. Eggs hatch after 3-4 weeks, and fledging takes place 4-5 weeks after that. Captive individuals have lived 8 years, but the life expectancy in the wild is unknown. They are preyed upon by larger owls, other birds of prey, and larger (to them anyway) mammals.

Thanks to John for the suggestion!