Barn Owl
Tyto alba
Also known as: Common Barn-Owl, Western Barn Owl, Laxmi Puncha
Habitat
Ground
Diet
VertFishScav
Active Time
Nocturnal
Size
403 g
About This Species
Search open farmland, grassland and marsh edges at dusk, where this pale, silent flier quarters low over rough grass hunting small mammals by sound. Its heart-shaped white face and buoyant, moth-like flight make it distinctive even in poor light, and old barns, church towers or nest boxes are worth checking for roosting or breeding birds. Activity is highest around dawn and dusk in winter, when daytime hunting supplements the usual nocturnal habit during cold spells.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- View from well back with binoculars and avoid approaching known nest or roost sites, since flushing a roosting owl wastes energy it needs for hunting.
- This species and its nests are legally protected across much of its range, including strict protections against disturbance at or near the nest in the UK and EU, though enforcement and specific provisions vary by country.
- Avoid shining bright lights or lingering near a roost, particularly during the breeding season.
LCAvesStrigiformesTytonidae
Seasonal Activity
329,293 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Family
- Tytonidae
Traits
- Diet
- VertFishScav
- Foraging
- Ground
- Activity
- Nocturnal
- Body mass
- 403 g
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.