Barn Owl Project-

Introduction
Have you ever wondered how many names a barn owl has? Have you ever wondered who the enemies of a barn owl are? Have you wondered where a barn owl lives? Or possibly what they eat? Or maybe how they take care of their young? Well if you have you can learn all that and more.





Names
The barn owl has many names. His common name is barn owl. Some of the nick names are Monkey Face Ghost owl and Spirit owl. He got the name Ghost owl because he looks like a ghost gliding over the moon at night. His scientific name is Tylo Alba and Tuto. I think these are all great names.
Sounds
The Barn Owl doesn’t make many sounds at all. He makes three sounds. The first is the mating call. It sounds like (shwaaaak). The second is twittering. It sounds like (chirp chirp). The last sound is the chicks begging. It sounds like a dog whistle.

Description
The female barn owl has more spots on her than the male barn owl. They are about 32 to 40 cm in length. The wing span is about 100-125 cm. They weigh about 400 to 700 g. They are medium sized owls. They have white under sides with black spots. These birds have a rusty colored back. They have a heart shaped face. Even though his face is heart shaped, they also have a round head. They have no ear tuffs. They use their good hearing to find their way through the dark. Their eyes are dark colors. Finally, they have long legs.


Beak/ Bill
One of the things that make this bird so cool is his beak. This bird’s beak is ivory colored beak. His beak curves down and is thin. His beak is good for ripping flesh.

Feet
They use their feet to grab prey. He has long legs. The legs are feathered. The barn owl also has long toes. His feet look scaly, sort of like a chicken foot.

Habitat
This bird is found on all continents, except for Antarctica. They have a very big habitat compared to other owls. They like woodlands and marshes. They also like deserts and prairies. They roost during the day and hunt at night.


Male Display
The barn owl has some very strange display habits. They make a strange noise that sounds like (shwaak). This is their mating call. Once the male finds a mate it goes and finds the female food, and brings it to her. They do this to prove that they will be a good resources of food for the young chicks. The barn owl is one of the few species that the female is considered prettier than the male. These owls can mate at less than one year of age. They keep the same mate all there life.


Diet
Barn Owls most commonly eat small ground mammals. The barn owl eats rodents, like voles, mice and rats. They also eat insect. If possible, they might eat a smaller bird. Sometimes barn owls will eat two or three lizards.

Nesting Materials
The barn owl doesn’t really make a nest. They just make a home in barns, houses, churches or other buildings. If they make a nest at all it is normally made of waste. Often people build nesting boxes for them. They do this so the owls don’t nest in people’s homes. Barn owls nest repeatedly in the same spot.
Eggs
Barn owls like all other birds, lay eggs. Their eggs are a bright tan color. They lay about four to seven in a clutch. The mother sits on the eggs. She moves them around about every 20 minutes to make sure they are getting the same amount of heat. It takes about four weeks to hatch the young owlets.
Young
Their young rely on their mom for protection, food and shelter. The female helps get the chicks out of their shell. If an enemy gets close she might attack. She will put them behind her if any one tries hurting them. This all happens in two weeks.

Enemys
The last reason that this bird is so awesome is that he only has one enemy. Humans. Humans are the only enemy of the barn owl. Humans often poison the rats that the owls eat. They will sometimes attack with their sharp talons. The barn owl doesn’t use his beak to fight.

Closing

When I wrote this I learned about a bird that I did not know existed. I am very glad that I picked this bird to write about. The Barn owl is a very pretty bird and a useful rodent control.



Bibliography
• Classroombirdscope.com webzine Research, Barn Owls. Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Feb 13,2010. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/classroombs/Feb_15_2001/index.html#Barn Owls
• Carolina Raptor Center, Learn, Raptor Species Barn Owl. Feb 14 2010.
http://www.carolinaraptorcenter.org/barn_owl.php
• Jonathan P. Landing, and Karen Molting. Birds and Prey Hoghton Miffin Comp, 1999.
• Wolfgang Epple, Barn Owls Minneaplls, Colorado Nature Watch Book, 1992.