18 December 2021.

Introduction:

On December 15, 2921, forest officials rescued a barn owl in Supaul district of Bihar, in a rate sighting.

Highlights:

The Barn owl is usually native to the US, the UK and other parts of Europe.

• It is rarely seen in the Indian subcontinent.

The Barn Owl

• The Barn Owl is scientifically called as Tyto alba.
• It is the most widely distributed species of owl worldwide.
• The species is found almost everywhere in across the world, except for the polar and desert regions, Indonesia, Pacific Islands and Asia north of the Himalayas.
•  It is also called as common barn owl.

Characteristics of the Owl

• The Barn owl is nocturnal for most of its range. However, in Great Britain and some Pacific Islands, the owl also hunts by day.
• They are specialised in hunting animals on the ground. All of their food comprises of small mammals, which they locate by sound.
• They are a medium-sized, pale-coloured owl, having long wings and a short & squarish tail.
• They have a typical wingspan of 80 to 95 cm.

Breeding season

• In the tropical regions, the Barn owls can breed at any time of year.
• However, some seasonality in nesting is still evident.
•  In the regions of distinct wet & dry seasons, egg-laying generally takes place during the dry season.
• In arid regions like Australia, breeding might be irregular and might happen in wet periods.