American Barn Owl

Barn Owls primarily feed on small mammals, with a preference for rats, mice, voles, lemmings, and other rodents. They also hunt shrews, bats, and occasionally rabbits. Most of their prey is active at night, though they will sometimes eat birds.

At dusk or during the night, Barn Owls fly slowly over open fields, using their exceptional hearing—enhanced by their facial discs, which act like satellite dishes—to detect the movements of small mammals.

Barn Owls are generally monogamous, but in some cases, males may have more than one mate. Males attract females with display flights and bring prey to their chosen mate, usually starting about a month before egg-laying begins. During nesting, Barn Owls may stockpile prey at the nest to ensure there’s enough food for their young once they hatch.

They typically nest in natural cavities such as tree holes, cliff ledges, caves, and burrows in riverbanks, but they are also known to use man-made structures. The female creates a simple nest by shredding her regurgitated pellets with her feet and shaping them into a cup.

Unlike many birds, Barn Owls may use their nests throughout the year for roosting. Often, the same nest site is reused from year to year, sometimes even by different owls.