Barn Owl (Tyto alba)

Silent predators of the night, Barn Owls have an eerie, raspy cry rather than the typical hoot of other owls. They have a ghostly appearance with a disc-like white face, belly, and chest and buffy upperparts. Roosting in barns, nesting boxes, and crevices in trees during the day, Barn Owls hunt at night. Found throughout the world, they are declining in range due to habitat loss. Found throughout Texas, they can be difficult to spot but are prevalent along roads, especially near Granger Lake. Despite their wide range, Barn Owls in America are very different from their European cousins, weighing 50% more and looking slightly different.

Close-up of a Barn Owl face.

Barn Owls prey on voles, rats, small snakes, squirrels, and other rodents. In fact, they are sometimes used for pest management as an alternative to toxic rodenticides. Place nest boxes in vineyards, orchards, and backyards and they will come. Since Barn Owls, and other birds, eat pests, it is important that we not use pesticides where they feed as the poison in the prey will kill the predator.

Barn Owl eggs.

Barn Owls lay 5-8 eggs, sometimes up to 12. The eggs are whitish but may become stained by the nest. Barn Owls don’t build real nests; instead they gather debris into a crevice or on the ground, finding a spot in a barn or other building, or even under bridges, as well as in nest boxes.  Only the female incubates the eggs while the male brings her food. Incubation is approximately a month. The female remains with the young for two weeks, relying on the male for food. After that she will hunt. By two months the young are taking their first flights.

In 2018, five Barn Owl eggs were brought to Wings Rescue Center (WRC) in Rockport, TX. Firefighters in Corpus Christi had seen the mother abandon the nest and rescued the eggs from a fire. One of the few rehabilitation centers that would incubate eggs and unsure of the age of the eggs, WRC monitored them carefully. Two eggs hatched but only one survived. Named Riggs, in honor of one of the firefighters, the baby owl was carefully tended to by WRC and the Texas Sealife Center until he was able to hunt for himself. The firefighter, Riggs, released the owl, Riggs, into Castro Sanctuary in Rockport.

Riggs the owl as a hatchling.

Unfortunately, many Barn owls die in their first year of life. Eggs and babies are prey for other raptors. Most only survive a couple of years but at least a few have been recorded making it to their teens. We can help them by providing owl boxes with predator guards. These can be bought ready to install or easily constructed with readily available plans. If you have Barn Owls nearby, it’s unlikely you will have vermin!

Riggs the owl in flight.

All photographs courtesy of Wings Rescue Center, used with permission.

Compiled by Jeanette Larson.

Sources include Audubon Guide, Barn Owl Trust, and Cornell All About Birds.