Barn Owls of Rancho Bernardo, California

Over 200 owl species in the world

Most belong to the StrigidaefamilyBarn owls belong to the family TytonidaeScientific name “Tyto alba” means “white bird”

The other common owl in Southern California is the

Great Horned Owl

They control rodents which carry diseases and destroy crops and gardens

Nesting pair can eat 2000 rodents in a nesting season

Encouraged to nest nearbyHoles made in barns or other structures

Owl boxes secured to trees or put on top of tall poles

AttractiveLarge eyes / heart-shaped face Barn Owl Drawing - 1508

Wingspan of about 4 feet

Can’t move their eyes in their sockets, but can turn their heads 270 degrees

Up and down / left and right

Excellent night vision

Best hearing of any animal on earth

Offset ears in satellite dish face

Completely silent flightComb-like front edge on outer feathers

On our backyard hillside

Fifteen feet high

Next to pine and palm trees

Allows a “glide path” to

the entrance

Two wireless network cameras

“Fledge”

Platform

Safe

and dry

Owl box installed 9/16/2010

Screeching heard and two owls circling at night Dec. 4, 5 and 6

Morning of 12/7 we find Tuppence

In the box all day, gone all night

The Dec. 13th “Owl Tantrum”

“Young female owls imprint a new home in their minds by ‘cleaning it up’ – screeching and scratching at the floor and the walls with their talons.”

Tom Stephan

Evening of Dec. 14th we found Tommy in the box with Tuppence

They went off later to go hunting

But after that, both stayed together in the box during the day

Barn owls stay with the same mate for life

And they are very affectionate towards one

another

Rest of December Together in the box during the day

Sleeping, standing on one leg

Early evening, she would “hen peck” him out the door to go hunting

The “treats” he brought back were quickly devoured

Jan. 6th “nesting activity” begins with owl pellets

On Jan. 8th the camera showed the first eggTommy seemed proud

Tuppence seemed clueless

Night picture shows nest of pellet material

New eggs are laid every 2 daysBarn owls can lay up to 16 eggs!

Tommy often guarded the door between hunting trips to stock the “pantry”

A total of six eggs were laid by Jan. 21st

Barn owls eggs take about 30 days to hatchTuppence’s job is to keep the eggs warm and safe

Tommy’s job is to bring her food

Often, while on the nest, Tuppence will groomBarn owls must keep their feathers clean

Tuppence must keep eating to stay healthyAdult barn owls often swallow rats and even rabbits whole!

On February 9th we welcomed the first barn owl chick into the world

How “Soren” and his sister got their names

How Mommy Tuppence feeds her new chicks

The chicks hatch every two days At first they have no feathers and their eyes are closed

When not feeding them Tuppence keeps them warm with her “brood patch”

Look at all the food in the pantry!

Downy feathers begin to grow and so does the noise level in the box

Owl chicks start out making faint “snores”

That changes to hisses and scratching calls when food is delivered to the box

The chicks also become more activeThey can lift their heads and move around

Sometimes Mommy can keep them under her brood patch (especially that Soren)

Mommy will leave the box to stretch her wings, but not for very long

Barn owl chicks double in size every couple of daysAs they grow, they get more demanding to be fed

At first Mom feeds them

Then they try to feed themselves (especially if Mom isn’t in the box)

And in not too long, they are swallowing rodents whole!

[ Videos can be found on:

www.OwlBeSeeingYou.com ]

It takes two months for an owl chick’s feathers to grow out so that they can fly

Six eggs were laid, but only two chicks survived, Soren and Eglantine

Two chicks died shortly after hatching

One chick was just too small to get its share of food

One chick looked healthy but died suddenly, probably of a virus

In nature, very few barn owls live to be a year old

That’s why they lay so many eggs

Soren and Eglantine turned out to be fun loving siblings!

Right on schedule (about two months after hatching – early April) the chicks were flying around the box and in the nearby trees

Their parents would go off with them, teaching them to hunt

One month later, they were both gone for good

Tuppence has been in the box on and off for the last few weeksSometimes, like yesterday, both owls were in the box

It appears likely there will be another clutch of eggs laid, probably in December or January

Visit Tommy and Tuppence’s Website

Where you can:

• See last year’s journal and videos (Chapter 1)

• See this year’s journal and videos (Chapter 2)

www.OwlBeSeeingYou.com