Barn owl is white. Barn owl: photo of an owl. Nocturnal lifestyle

• Order: Striges, or Strigiformes = Owls, owl-shaped
• Family: Tytonidae = barn owls

Species: Tyto tenebricosa = Black or ash barn owl

The Sooty Owl is an elusive and little-studied bird native to the southern Australian rainforest. Among barn owls, she has the largest eyes. Its habitat: coastal and mountainous areas of south-eastern Australia from Dandenong (Melbourne area) to Conandale (north of Brisbane). They have been reported to be found on Wreck Island in Bass Strait, and have also been found at Montaigne in the New Guinea rainforest.

The black owl is a medium sized bird. The plumage is ash-black in color, and on the facial disc there are very big eyes outlined in black circles. Against the background of the ash-black plumage, there are small white spots on the head and large, but sparser white spots on the wings. The front disc is painted gray or silver and is framed by a black border. The plumage varies from ash-black to dark gray or slightly whitish. The plumage on the belly is always lighter than on the chest. The tail is very short. The beak of the ashy owl differs in color from the facial disc. Dark gray paws with large black claws. There is no sexual dimorphism, birds of both sexes are colored the same. However, the female is usually slightly larger than the males. Its length is 44-51 cm, weight 750-1000 g, while the male has a length of 37-43 cm and weight 500-700 g.

The black owl differs from the lesser gray owl in its darker plumage and larger size; the white spots located on top are also sparser. And where the Lesser Ashy Owl has dark spots on a light background, the Ashy Owl has simply light spots.

The owl's call is a distinctive, penetrating, low call that lasts about two seconds. This sound is similar to the sound of a falling bomb, only without the final explosion, which is why this cry is called “bomb whistle.” There are many other calls, the reproduction of which is associated with reproduction and mating season.

Ash owls live in the deepest ravines. They are little studied precisely because they are active mainly at night - they are the most nocturnal of all Australian owls. Their very large eyes provide excellent vision. Ashy owls are strong and dexterous hunters, so quite often their prey becomes quite major representatives fauna of the forests, which owls track down while sitting on a tree. This distinguishes them not only from the lesser owl, but also from other members of the Barn Owl family, which track prey in flight above the ground.

Possums make up the majority of the owl's prey, but it has been recorded preying on other mammals. There are no detailed descriptions of the hunting methods of these owls. What is known is that the male hunts only in the dead of night and in mating season, and during the period of incubation and feeding of chicks, and brings prey to the nest once.

Seasonality in reproduction is not expressed. Breeding of the Ashy Owl can occur regardless of the time of year, although eggs are mainly laid between January and June, but there are cases of nesting observed in the spring, from August to September. During this period, the males become very noisy, they often make a “bomb whistle” call. A pair of owls make a nest in a large hollow of an old but living tree, and then lines and insulates it with soft bedding. The nest can be located on a tree at any height from 10 to 50 meters. Several cases of nesting of the ashy owl in caves are known, which, apparently, is due to the lack of suitable hollow trees. Females occupy the hollow a few weeks before the start of laying eggs, and leave it only at night for a very short time. If the nest is located in a cave, then the female does not leave it at all.

Ash owl females usually lay 1-2 rounded white eggs, 44-52 mm long and 36-41 mm wide. Hatching lasts about 42 days. The male feeds the female directly in the nest. The chicks are first covered with gray down and fledge at about 3 months. The chick of a newly fledged ashy owl depends on its parents for some time, and then leaves the nest forever.

The ash owl's habitat is deep, damp ravines in eucalyptus forests, usually with large, old, smooth-bore, fern-covered trees. Dappled owls are sedentary birds, they adhere to their own territorial boundaries. But they can hunt in dry forests, but high humidity they need it during the hatching period and for shelters.

The average wing length is 243-343 mm; wingspan - 103 cm. Length of females - 44-51 cm; weight - 900-1100 g. Length of males - 37-43 cm; weight - 600-700 g.

A medium-sized owl without ear tufts. Females, as a rule, are larger and heavier than males (the difference in mass is up to 350 g), however, reverse sexual dimorphism was detected in one of the observed pairs.

The main plumage of the bird is ash-black; on the rounded facial corolla, the color of which varies from light gray to graphite (gradually darkening from the light edges towards the middle), there are very large black eyes.

The lower part of the belly and thighs is dark, with small uneven black spots. The iris of the eye is a rich dark brown color, the beak is light cream. The legs are densely feathered down to the base of the dark gray toes, which end in massive black-brown claws. The wings are short, rounded and uniform along their entire length; very short tail.

The chicks are covered with whitish or light gray down; juveniles look almost like adults, but with a darker facial disc.

Voice

The best-known call of the Black Barn Owl is a long, downward whistle that is often compared to the sound of a flying

Taxonomy

Russian name - ordinarybarn owl
Latin name- Tyto alba
English name- Barn owl
Bird class - Aves
Order - owls (Strigiformes)
Family - barn owls (Tytonidae)
Genus - barn owl (Tyto)

Barn owls are the most ancient branch of the order of owls, as evidenced by the wealth of fossil forms. Now they are preserved only in the form of a small relict group.

Conservation status of the species

The barn owl is not a threatened species, but the reduction of its usual nesting sites is a serious threat to it. In Eastern Europe, in recent decades, for unknown reasons, there has been a catastrophic decline in the barn owl population. The species has almost disappeared from the Baltic countries and Belarus, and has become rare in Ukraine and Moldova. Now the barn owl is listed in the Red Books of a number of countries in Eastern Europe.

Species and man

Barn owls often gravitate towards human dwellings, settling in attics, outbuildings, ruins, churches, and bell towers. It is not for nothing that in English “barn owl” is translated as “barn owl”. In cities where there are always a lot of rats and mice, barn owls always easily find food for themselves. And besides, “urban” barn owls have learned to hunt night insects by the light of lanterns and bats.

Like other species of owls, people have always treated barn owls with superstitious fear, especially since they were the ones most often seen near their homes. And just like other owls, barn owls were a symbol of wisdom. Nowadays, superstitions about owls, fortunately, are a thing of the past, and people treat these birds with obvious sympathy. And the role of barn owls in the fight against urban rodents is obvious and not disputed by anyone.

Distribution and habitats

The barn owl is one of the most common birds the globe. It is found on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica, and on many islands, including remote ones. However, the barn owl cannot tolerate cold northern climate, so it is not found in the northern regions of Canada and Northern Europe. The barn owl has been successfully introduced (settled) on many remote islands: Hawaiian, Seychelles, and New Zealand. However, the introduction of the barn owl to the Seychelles in 1949 showed how fragile the natural balance is and how easy it is to upset it. The fact is that the barn owl Seychelles began to hunt not only rats, but also the endemic Seychelles kestrel, the number of which began to decline sharply.

Over a vast range, there are more than 30 subspecies of barn owls.

In our country, the barn owl is found only in the Kaliningrad region.

The barn owl lives in a variety of biotopes, avoiding only dense forests. This is one of the few bird species that benefited economic activity people on deforestation and agricultural development, since this expanded the food supply and made it possible to settle very widely. The barn owl willingly settles near human habitation.

Appearance and morphology

The barn owl is a slender owl with long legs. It is this somewhat “elongated” upward shape that distinguishes the barn owl from all other owls. Body length is 33–39 cm, wingspan 80–95 cm, average weight 300–400 g. The plumage is very soft and fluffy. The upper part of the body is usually buffy-red, with transverse gray streaks and numerous small dark stripes and specks. The underparts are golden-red with sparse dark specks. The facial disc is white and heart-shaped, which also immediately distinguishes barn owls from other owls.

Males and females are almost the same in color.

Nutrition and feeding behavior

The barn owl's diet mainly consists of various mouse-like rodents and shrews. However, she also catches birds, including birds of prey, and bats, and frogs, and insects. During the hunt, an owl either flies around its possessions, constantly changing height - up and down, or waits for a prey from an ambush. The flight of barn owls is soft and silent, since the wings are designed so that the ends of the flight feathers dampen the sound of flight.

Barn owls kill their prey with their claws, and then, stepping on it with their long foot, they tear it apart with their beak. Their neck is so mobile that they can eat almost without bending over their prey. When eating, the feathers of the owl's facial disc move all the time when opening and closing its mouth, so it seems that barn owls constantly grimace while eating.

Vocalization

The barn owl's voice - a special hoarse "heee" - was the origin of the Russian name for the bird. In general, barn owls are the most “talkative” during the nesting period. At this time, they scream and hoot hoarsely or shrilly. Outside the breeding season, barn owls are usually silent. In addition to vocal sounds, they sometimes click their beaks or flap their wings defiantly.

Lifestyle and social structure

Barn owls lead a solitary lifestyle, but in places rich in prey they can live in small groups. This is one of the most nocturnal owls. Barn owls sleep during the day, and for the night they choose some natural or artificial niche: a hollow, a hole or an old attic in the house. They live, as a rule, sedentary, but in the absence of prey (“non-mouse years”) they can migrate to a new place.

When encountering a violator of its territorial possessions, the barn owl spreads its wings and flaps them, approaching the enemy closely. At this time, the owl hisses loudly and clicks its beak. The barn owl does not have a threat pose, such as that of other owls. Instead, she spreads her wings in a horizontal plane and lies down, hugging the ground with her plumage tightly pressed. If such a demonstration does not help, the barn owl can attack the enemy, falling on his back and striking him with his clawed feet.

When a person approaches, barn owls usually rise high on their long legs and sway quietly, while actively moving the feathers of the facial disc, “grimacing,” and then fly away
Barn owls' vision is very well developed; they see perfectly both in the dark and in bright light.

Hearing, like all other owls, is also well developed. The ears are located on the sides of the head asymmetrically, the left one is higher, the right one is lower. This structure of the hearing aid helps birds to hear the sounds made by potential victims from different angles. Short thick feathers framing the faceplate are good sound reflectors. Barn owls are very susceptible to all sound signals, and in case of too loud sound, they cover their ear openings with peculiar plugs covered with small feathers.

Reproduction and parenting behavior

Since barn owls live in different climatic conditions, then their breeding season falls on different time. In the tropics, there is no seasonality of reproduction at all, in temperate latitudes owls start breeding in March-April.

Barn owls are monogamous, but sometimes there are cases of polygamy (1 male and several females). They nest in separate pairs, in natural conditions - in hollows, burrows, nests of other birds; Barn owls do not build their own nests. In the anthropogenic landscape they nest in attics, bell towers, and barns. The nests are located at different heights, but usually no higher than 20 m above the ground.

With the onset of the mating season, the male flies around the tree chosen for the nest, making sharp hoarse sounds to attract the attention of the female. Then he starts chasing the female, and during the chase, both birds already scream hoarsely together. After mating, the female lays 4–8 (in "mouse years" up to 16) rather small oblong eggs (other owls have round eggs), white or cream in color. Eggs are laid at intervals of 1 or 2 days. The incubation period lasts 29–34 days, only the female incubates, and the male feeds her all this time. The hatched chicks are covered with thick white down and are completely helpless. Parents bring them food one by one. After 35–45 days, the chicks leave the nest, and at the age of 50–55 days they begin to fly. They become completely independent at the age of 3 months, and then fly away. During the last week of living with their parents, the young hunt with them, learning from the hunting experience of their elders. Barn owls are characterized by a very large flight radius of young ones - hundreds and even thousands of kilometers.

In “mouse years,” barn owls even in temperate latitudes can have 2 successful clutches per season.

The young can begin to breed as early as 10 months of age.

Lifespan

According to banding data, barn owls can live in the wild for up to 18 years, but their average life expectancy is much shorter - about 2 years. However, there are also “champion” results: in North America barn owl lived in captivity for 11 years 6 months; in Holland, a barn owl lived in nature up to 17 years and the record holder is a barn owl from England, who lived in captivity for 22 years.

Keeping animals at the Moscow Zoo

In our zoo, barn owls live in the Night World pavilion, which, of course, is optimal for this species. Currently there are 5 birds there. At the exposition, you can always see 1 pair, the rest “rest” in a non-exhibition room, the birds are changed once a year. Most barn owls are obtained from nature. One pair of barn owls breeds regularly; they have already had 4 broods. They incubate the clutch and feed the chicks themselves.

The barn owl's diet at the zoo consists of 6 mice daily.

Appearance

The Lesser Black Barn Owl inhabits dense tropical forests on the plains of North-Eastern Australia: north-east Queensland (Cooktown - Townsville line, surrounding Lake Itham). Some researchers include this species in Tyto tenebricosa.

The Lesser Black Barn Owl is noticeably smaller in size than the Southern Black Barn Owl, which lives in the forests of northern Queensland. Endemic to wet tropical forests this area of ​​Australia. Both types of barn owls are often called silver barn owls, referring to the silvery-white color of the bird's underparts. Barn owl lighter in color on the upper body, it is often grayish-brown with a large number light streaks of a silvery-white hue on the head and wings; There are also black birds, but they are also very colorful. The facial disc is large - silvery-white around the eyes. Around the disc there is a bright border of short dark feathers. The underparts are silvery-white with many dark spots, which are especially numerous on the chest, making the chest appear dark gray. The tail is very short. The eyes are large, the iris is black. The beak is light gray, the legs are light gray, the fingers are adapted for capturing prey: two are directed forward, two are directed back, the claws are black. Slight sexual dimorphism in size: the female is slightly larger (male 33 cm, female 37 cm). On average, the body length of barn owls ranges from 31-38 cm.

Lifestyle

Barn owls lead a secretive lifestyle, but their location can be determined by their cry, which eyewitnesses define as a “bomb whistle”. This is a loud trill-whistle, turning into a loud scream, heard over a great distance. When threatening, a barn owl clicks its tongue, making clicking sounds to unnerve its opponent.

The black barn owl is a hollow nester. For nesting, he chooses large hollows of a living tree, sometimes in the fork of large branches, preferring trees called Rose Gum. In other cases, it occupies natural depressions between tree roots and in natural niches along bank slopes. The male and female adhere to each other for a long time, but outside the nesting season they live alone and daytime carried out in different places. The female lays two eggs and incubates them for 42 days. The male brings prey to the female in the nest several times a night. The number of breeding pairs in the rainforests of north Queensland is estimated at 2000 pairs. Barn owls inhabit the area from the mountains south of Cooktown to the north of this area. For them, the optimal territory is 50 hectares.

Barn owls are able to overcome dense thickets while hunting. tropical forest at night, locating their prey and attacking it. They feed on land animals: rats, other rodents, bandicoots, lizards, frogs and others small mammals. Sometimes they prey on arboreal animals, birds and possums. Because barn owls are at the start the food chain, the size of their livestock depends on the food supply. Another deterrent is anxiety from a person. These are territorial birds that do not stray far from their possessions.

The life expectancy of barn owls is long, the reproduction rate is low, so the population size is never excessive. The breeding season is between January and August. Despite the narrow habitat, the population of this species is considered normal and has remained stable for many years. In this it differs from the black owl, whose numbers, although recognized as common, are currently steadily declining as a result of deforestation.

Barn owls, like most nocturnal birds, have good night vision, but when hunting, they rely more on their sensitive hearing, which, as experimentally established, is four times greater than the hearing capabilities of other animals. This allows them to hunt in complete darkness. This unique ability is achieved special structure ears, in which both ears are located asymmetrically on different levels. Thereby sound signal reaches the right and left ears with some difference in time, this allows the owl to determine the location of a potential victim with greater accuracy. In addition, the ear opening, located higher, is directed downwards and is more sensitive to sounds that come from below. Short feathers framing the facial disc direct sounds to the ears. Having fluffed these feathers, the barn owl directs them in such a way that the sound comes directly to the ear openings.

During a hunt, a barn owl attacks its prey, wrapping its claws around it in such a way that the claws grab the victim from four sides. Owls swallow their prey whole with feathers, fur and claws, and then once or twice a day they regurgitate the undigested remains in the form of dense balls - pellets.

A lot of harm to barn owls is caused by the use of pesticides in agriculture, they are most vulnerable to DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane). Road traffic causes great damage to the barn owl population, as owls tend to hunt along roadsides. Lots of averages and large birds, barn owl including, perishes on power lines.

Lesser black barn owl

Lesser barn owl

The Lesser Black Barn Owl - Tyto multipunctata - inhabits dense tropical forests on the plains of North-Eastern Australia: north-east Queensland (Cooktown - Townsville line, environs of Lake Itham). Some researchers include this species in Tyto tenebricosa.

The Lesser Black Barn Owl is noticeably smaller in size than the Southern Black Barn Owl, which lives in the forests of northern Queensland. Endemic to the tropical rainforests of this area of ​​Australia. Both types of barn owls are often called silver barn owls, referring to the silvery-white color of the bird's underparts. The barn owl is lighter in color on the upper part of the body; it is often grayish-brown with a large number of light streaks of a silvery-white hue on the head and wings; there are also black birds, but also very colorful. The facial disc is large - silvery white around the eyes. Around the disk there is a bright border of short dark feathers. The underparts are silvery-white with many dark spots, which are especially numerous on the chest, making the chest appear dark gray. The tail is very short. The eyes are large, the iris is black. The beak is light gray, the legs are light gray, the fingers are adapted for capturing prey: two are directed forward, two are directed back, the claws are black. Slight sexual dimorphism in size, the female is slightly larger (male 33 cm, female 37 cm). On average, the body length of small barn owls ranges from 31-38 cm.

Barn owls lead a secretive lifestyle, but their location can be determined by their cry, which eyewitnesses define as a “whistle of a bomb.” This is a loud trill-whistle, turning into a loud scream, heard at a great distance. When threatening, a barn owl clicks its tongue, making clicking sounds to unnerve its opponent.

The black barn owl is a cavity nester. For nesting, it chooses large hollows of a living tree, sometimes in the fork of large branches, preferring trees called Rose Gum. In other cases, it occupies natural depressions between tree roots and in natural niches along bank slopes. The male and female adhere to each other for a long time, but outside the nesting season they live alone and spend daytime in different places. The female lays two eggs and incubates them for 42 days. The male brings prey to the female in the nest several times a night. The number of breeding pairs in the rainforests of north Queensland is estimated at 2000 pairs. Barn owls inhabit the area from the mountains south of Cooktown to the north of this area. For them, the optimal territory is 50 hectares.

When hunting, barn owls are able to travel through dense rainforest thickets at night, locating and attacking their prey. They feed on land animals: rats, other rodents, bandicoots, lizards, frogs and other small mammals. Sometimes they prey on arboreal animals, birds and possums. Since barn owls are at the beginning of the food chain, the size of their population depends on the food supply. Another deterrent is anxiety from the person. These are territorial birds that do not move far from their possessions.

The life expectancy of barn owls is long, the reproduction rate is low, so the population size is never excessive. The breeding season is from January to August. Despite the narrow habitat, the population of this species is considered normal and has remained stable for many years. In this it differs from the black owl, whose numbers, although recognized as common, are currently steadily declining as a result of deforestation.

Barn owls, like most nocturnal birds, have good night vision, but when hunting, they rely more on their sensitive hearing, which, as experimentally established, is four times greater than the hearing capabilities of other animals. This allows them to hunt in complete darkness. This unique ability is achieved by the special structure of the ears, in which both ears are located asymmetrically at different levels. Thanks to this, the sound signal reaches the right and left ears with a certain time difference, which allows the owl to more accurately determine the location of a potential victim. In addition, the ear opening, located higher, is directed downwards and is more sensitive to sounds that come from below. Short feathers framing the facial disc direct sounds to the ears. Having fluffed these feathers, the barn owl directs them in such a way that the sound comes directly to the ear openings.

During a hunt, a barn owl attacks its prey, wrapping its claws around it in such a way that the claws grab the victim from four sides. Owls swallow their prey whole with feathers, fur and claws, and then once or twice a day they regurgitate the undigested remains in the form of dense balls - pellets.

Barn owls are harmed a lot by the use of pesticides in agriculture; they are most vulnerable to DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane). Road traffic causes great damage to the barn owl population, as owls tend to hunt along roadsides. Many medium and large birds, including barn owls, die on power lines.

Since 1971, the little black owl, like other Australian predator birds, is protected by law. Trade in barn owls is only permitted as part of an exchange between zoos.

Based on materials from the sites http://www.fortunecity.com/ and http:// www. birdwatching - australia. com/.