Barn Owl
The Barn Owl is a fascinating member of the Owl Family. I am intrigued by its mysterious, heart shaped face and dark, piercing eyes. As a nocturnal predator, it hunts at night and is often referred to as a “ghost owl”, or a “death owl”, because of its largely white features on the underside of its body, wings and mask-like face. Many Indigenous and rural populations consider this bird to be an evil omen, while others consume its meat in religious rituals where it is believed to have special powers.
Fortunately, the Barn Owl is a very hardy and abundant species, and is found worldwide except for Antarctica. There are many subspecies that exist with the Barn Owl family, but they commonly are between 13- 15 inches in length with wingspans stretching from 30 -36 inches. They are very light, weighing anywhere from 9 to 25 ounces, depending on where they live in the world. Females are larger than males, and when mating, barn owls do so for life. When nesting, the female tends to the eggs, (laying on average 5 at a time) while the male provides food for his mate and their brood for at least the first month after they have hatched.
Barn Owls do not hoot as many types of owls are known to do, but instead they screech. They have excellent hearing and rely on this acute sense to hunt their prey, which largely consists of rodents and other small mammals. They too are at risk of becoming dinner for larger birds and mammals such as hawks, falcons and raccoons.
The great outdoors is a very rough place to exist, and in the wild, barn owls generally have a pretty short lifespan of only about 4-5 years, although in captivity they can live much longer.
Given that it is found nearly worldwide and reproduces quite often, the Barn Owl is generally not considered endangered, although in some regions their populations are threatened. This was one of the first animals I painted in The Ark series and I look forward to bringing you many more types of owls in the future!
Fortunately, the Barn Owl is a very hardy and abundant species, and is found worldwide except for Antarctica. There are many subspecies that exist with the Barn Owl family, but they commonly are between 13- 15 inches in length with wingspans stretching from 30 -36 inches. They are very light, weighing anywhere from 9 to 25 ounces, depending on where they live in the world. Females are larger than males, and when mating, barn owls do so for life. When nesting, the female tends to the eggs, (laying on average 5 at a time) while the male provides food for his mate and their brood for at least the first month after they have hatched.
Barn Owls do not hoot as many types of owls are known to do, but instead they screech. They have excellent hearing and rely on this acute sense to hunt their prey, which largely consists of rodents and other small mammals. They too are at risk of becoming dinner for larger birds and mammals such as hawks, falcons and raccoons.
The great outdoors is a very rough place to exist, and in the wild, barn owls generally have a pretty short lifespan of only about 4-5 years, although in captivity they can live much longer.
Given that it is found nearly worldwide and reproduces quite often, the Barn Owl is generally not considered endangered, although in some regions their populations are threatened. This was one of the first animals I painted in The Ark series and I look forward to bringing you many more types of owls in the future!