Facts & Figures: What Makes Barn Owls Unique

Do you have owls cruising around your neighborhood but you are never really sure what species they are? Are you considering a barn owl box and want to know more about the inhabitants you hope to attract? Here are some fun facts about barn owls to whet your appetite for studying them through the lens of the barn owl box. When you install Barn Owl Boxes on your property, you attract these fascinating creatures and can view their entire life cycle from hatching to adulthood.

• Like other owls, barn owls have large eyes that can see peripherally. However, the eyes of barn owls are a bit smaller than those of other types of owls and are located on the front of the face, making their forward vision keener than their side vision.
• Barn owls have well-developed facial disks, making this one of the easiest ways to identify the species. Their white faces can be startling when glimpsed at night as they swoop down on their prey.
• Owls have neck bones that allow them to turn their heads 180 degrees. They can do this so quickly it looks as if they are spinning their heads all the way around, although they are not.
• Barn owls have four sharp claws. One of these claws can be turned forward or backward.
• Barn owls are about 12 inches high and weigh about one pound, making them medium-sized when compared to other owls.
• Females tend to be darker in color than males, but this is not a reliable way to determine gender of a barn owl.
• Barn owls cannot see in total darkness. However, the amount of light necessary for them to see is so small that it may seem to humans that they can “see in the dark.”
• Although barn owls cannot see well in the dark, they are guided by their incredible sense of hearing. They can hear so well that they can distinguish a rodent’s footsteps and nibbling from some distance away.
• Barn owls “bob and weave” in order to gain depth perception.
• The most distinctive barn owl sound is the high-pitched screech that leads to the name “screech owl.” However, they also make other sounds such as tongue clicks and chirps to communicate with each other.
• Barn owls hunt near dusk, at midnight and at dawn every night.

Put the amazing world of the barn owl at your own fingertips with Barn Owl Boxes. With or without an included infrared camera, Barn Owl Boxes are one of the best ways to explore the fascinating world of this species.