A half seen ghostly white form illuminated by your car headlights as you drive past at dead of night. A brief glimpse of a gliding pale bird buoyantly drifting across your line of vision whilst out for a walk at dusk. The eerie, hair raising screech from that silent spectral churchyard. These are the usual ways in which we encounter that most enigmatic of birds, the Barn Owl.
I remember my first encounter with a Barn Owl very well. My friend and I were trespassing as usual, having great fun climbing trees. Whilst clambering up one gnarled ash, levering myself up by putting my hand into a natural hole in the trunk, I nearly fell to my doom: a frantic scrape of claws, a blur of dazzling white, the feeling of displaced air as something exited the hole a mere couple of inches from my face. My initial alarm turned to excitement as I realised what had happened; I had disturbed a Barn Owl from its daytime roost. We watched in awe as this lovely creature drifted around the nearby trees before bouncing off across a field to seek sanctuary. From that moment I determined that Barn Owls were going to be my favourite bird; and they still are. Maybe it’s their intricately vermiculated feathering, maybe their secret crepuscular habits, or maybe it’s simply those large forward looking liquid eyes set in such an innocent looking face. Whatever, the sight of one always gives a thrill. I love seeing them, and I’m sure you do too.
Barn Owls have not always been considered things to cherish. In times gone by, our superstitious ancestry afforded it a sinister reputation; its nocturnal habits forging an association with doom and death. In these less enlightened times, to hear the screech of a Barn Owl as it flew past the window of a sick person foretold of imminent death. A gruesome custom of nailing an owl to a barn door to ward off evil persisted into the 19th century.
It is a widespread bird, occurring on every continent except Antarctica. Its association with all things supernatural is therefore not limited to the UK. For example, in the folklore of North American tribes it was believed that when a wicked person died, he or she would transform into a Barn Owl. Similarly in the Mediterranean regions Barn Owls were persecuted due to the belief they drank the oil of lamps in churches thus depriving saints of light. All this nonsense directed at a bird that simply goes about its business, shunning close contact with humans.
Far from being some evil banshee, the Barn Owl is harmless to us humans, flying low and slow over the ground listening intently for its prey of voles, mice, rats and shrews which they hunt over rough grassland, meadows and road verges. They can be found in a variety of habitats ranging from relative dry heaths, through parkland, wet meadows, open woodlands and coastal grazing marsh. Their favoured locale however comprises wide expanses of unimproved, wildlife rich meadows for hunting, interspersed with stands of old trees that provide safe roosting and nesting sites.
Barn owls don’t stray far from the site of their birth and will form monogamous pairs, breeding in tree cavities or in barns and quiet farm outbuildings. Many young birds will perish in their first year of life through collision with vehicles or an inability to find sufficient food during the winter months. Those that survive that first spell of hardship generally live for an average of 4-5 years.
Barn owls are top predators but can only survive and flourish if there is a healthy population of prey species. They in turn can only proliferate if suitable habitat exists supporting plenty of food, breeding sites and safe haven. Common land in all its forms can often represent a vital oasis in a sea of intensively managed farmland or urban development and for this reason their value as wild spaces is immeasurable.
The fact we still have common land available for all to enjoy can be traced back in some measure to Norfolk’s very own Robert and William Kett, brothers who galvanised local commoners in revolt against the reversion of common rights, depriving people of their ability to graze animals, forage for firewood or to collect food. There is revived interest in this slice of history thanks to two recently published books; Rewriting the Rebellion by Leo Jary and Tombland by C J Sansom. Although the Kett revolt failed to prevent thousands of acres of common land being lost, it is a vivid illustration of how important commons were, and still are, for people and wildlife. Without them we would all be so much the poorer. And our Barn Owls would have greater struggle to find a niche.
Some interesting Barn Owl facts:
- Barn Owls have large ears of different sizes positioned asymmetrically, one higher than the other, just behind their eyes. This helps them to precisely locate prey in almost total darkness
- One of their claws is combed so that they can easily groom their short facial feathers.
- The facial disk of barn owls is heart shaped to maximise the collection of sound.
- Barn Owls eyes are very sensitive to low light providing acute nocturnal vision. An interesting article on this issue can be found here.
- Their feathers are very soft and enable them to fly almost silently as they listen for minute sounds made by their prey.
Further details of the Barn Owl’s ecology can be found on the Hawk and Owl Trust website, click here.
For further species profiles click here.