Barn OwlTyto alba

Order StrigiformesFamily TytonidaeGenus TytoSpecies alba

Geographic Range Most widely distributed of all owl species. Not found in desert or polar regions or in parts of Asia and some Pacific Islands. There are 20 – 30 subspecies recognized.

Habitat Open farmlands or grasslands – prefers to hunt along the edge of woods

Niche Arboreal, nocturnal, carnivorous

Wild Diet Mostly small mammals, especially rodents

Life Span Up to 12 years in the wild, 25+ in captivity

Appearance White heart-shaped face and white underparts. Head and back are buff and grey. Long-legged and long-winged. Head to tail 12 – 18 inches, wingspan 30 – 40 inches. Average weight is slightly over 1 pound.

Adaptations Specialized feathers help them to fly silently. Since barn owls hunt by cover of darkness, they have acute hearing with asymmetrically placed ears so that they can accurately determine distance and location of sound.

Fun Facts Barn owls don’t hoot, but instead give a shriek-like call. Because of this, some people fear them and consider them a bad omen; giving them names such as ghost owl, demon owl, death owl and night owl. In other regions, barn owls are highly respected for their rodent-catching abilities and are actively encouraged to roost in barns or attics.

To see color photos of this animal, go to www.sfzoo.org/wildaboutartandscience

At the Zoo Our barn owl “Wilbur” lives at the Koret Animal Resource Center

Comparison Owls and raptors are both birds of prey. They are both carnivorous birds which hunt while flying using their talons to capture prey. Raptors include hawks, eagles, buzzards, osprey, vultures and falcons. Raptors are primarily diurnal and rely on their keen eyesight to hunt for prey. Most owl species are nocturnal and as a result have better low-light vision and rely mostly on their superior hearing to hunt and locate prey.

Status and Conservation Not threatened as an overall species but various subspecies are threatened to different degrees.

Threats Habitat loss, the use of pesticides including rat poison, and pet or feral cats

Bibliography Nature Trail Handbook, Animal Diversity Web

Being nocturnal hunters, owls rely heavily on their ears to find their small prey. In this exercise, the students will close their eyes and rely on their ears to tell the difference between sounds the teacher makes in the room. By changing both location and type of sound, the teacher challenges the students to use the same sense the owl does.

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Heads Down, Owl SoundsMeets 1st Grade California Science Content Standards- 2a, 2b, 2c, and 4a (see Standards Key)California Visual Art Standard 2.4 - Plan and use variations in line, shape/form, color, and texture to communicate ideasor feelings in works of art.Taking It Further - California Visual Art Standard 2.1 - Use texture in two-dimensional and three-dimensional works ofart.

Animal to Draw for Art Contest – An owl

Writing prompt for the sentence of the back of the student’s drawing - What is your owl doing in yourdrawing?Objective – To understand how an owl’s uneven ear position helps them locate small prey at night and thattheir prey is often small rodents such as mice or moles.Time – 15 -20 minutes during the first session, once the students know the rules, it could be used for as little as5 minutes at a time.Background - Being nocturnal hunters, owls rely heavily on their ears to find their small prey. In this exercise,the students will close their eyes and rely on their ears to tell the difference between sounds the teacher makesin the room. By changing both location and type of sound, the teacher challenges the students to use the samesense the owl does.

Materials – Different objects to move, crinkle, scrape, and make noise with. Tape to mark several spots on the floor where you will standing (or you can use landmarks in the

classroom i.e. teacher’s desk, by the door or a particular student’s desk) Photo of owl with location of ears marked

Vocabulary –Nocturnal – an animal that is awake at nightPredator – an animal that hunts and eats other animalsPrey – an animal that is hunted

Directions –1. Explain to the students that owls have many physical features that make it possible for them to hunt at nightincluding: excellent eyesight, silent flight, sharp talons on their feet and terrific hearing.2. Show the students the photos of the owl that illustrate where the ears are placed on the side of the head andother physical features of the owl. Explain that this helps the owl locate their prey in the dark.3. Explain to the students that this game is similar to “Heads-Up, Seven-Up” except instead of having theirthumbs tapped, they will just be using their ears to try and locate and name different sounds. After you make

the noise, the students will try to guess what the sound was and where the person making the noise isstanding.Game Procedure-1. Show the students the different objects that you will be using to make the noises, but don’t demonstrate thenoise, let them try to anticipate the actual sounds.2. Show them the different marks spots on the floor or talk about using landmarks such as other student’s deskto estimate where the person making the noise is standing.3. Explain to the students that they are all owls in the dark and you will be moving around the room andmaking a small amount of noise, like a mouse. When the sound stops, ask them to raise their hand if they thinkthey know what you were using to make the sound and whose desk you stopped next to. Make sure to remindthem not to peek, they are an owl in the dark.4. Have all the students put their heads down on their desks and close their eyes. Ask them to use theirimagination to picture themselves as an owl sitting in a tree listening in the dark.5. As you move lightly around the room, make a noise using one of objects; continue to make the noise untilyou stop moving.6. Ask them what object were you using to make the noise and whose desk did you stop next to? Make surethey keep their heads down until one student answers correctly. When they do, have them look up to checkwhere you are and what you used.7. Whoever answers correctly gets to stand up with the teacher and pick the next sound to make. Everyoneelse puts their head down to play again. Help the standing student to move around the room quietly makingthe sound and stop next to a different student’s desk. Continue.

Questions for Discussion - Do you think owls can make a lot of noise while they are hunting? How would theirprey react if owls made a lot of noise?

Website/books/other resources –Owl Moon by Jane YolenThe Barn Owls by Tony JohnstonOwl Babies by Martin Waddell

In San Marcos, CA, a resident set up a web-cam in an owl box. Two clutches of eggs were laid in 2010, you canfind our more information here: http://mollysbox.wordpress.com/. The camera may not be running live, butyou’ll be able to see past videos of barn owls in their nest box.

Hear barn owl calls and find more info http://www.owlpages.com/owls.php?genus=Tyto&species=alba

Taking it Further - As a class, have the students sit silently for two minutes listening to all the different soundsthey can hear in the classroom. Have them write down a list of the sounds and share with the group. This is agreat way to explore their sense of hearing.

Silent Flight Demonstration -To demonstrate how owl feathers produce silent flight, you can create this simple project. You’ll need: twowooden rulers, twine, 2 pieces of fabric cut into 12 in. by ½ in. strips, and glue.

Take the fabric and glue on to one of the rulers. Trim so the edge of the fabric has lots of small pieces of fringe.This represents the fringe found on the edge of owl feathers. On each ruler tie approx. 3 feet of twine. Whenyou twirl the non-fabric ruler, you should hear a buzzing sound. When you twirl the ruler with the fabric, youshould hear no sound. Owl feathers have a small amount of fringe on the edge that helps them fly silently.