Barn Owl: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Owl Week · day 3 of 7

Five facts

1. The barn owl never hoots. It gives a long, eerie screech instead.
2. Male barn owls add a shrill twitter during courtship, and young and adult birds can hiss like a snake when threatened.
3. Barn owls hunt small mammals on the ground, finding them by sound. Their hearing is so sharp they can hunt in total darkness.
4. Barn owls burn energy fast. Compared with other owls their size, they have a much higher metabolism and need more food.
5. Barn owls fly almost silently. Tiny serrations on the front edge of their flight feathers and a soft fringe at the back smooth the airflow.

The quiz

1. What call does the barn owl make instead of hooting?

• A long, eerie screech (correct)
• A deep bark
• A rapid chirp
• A low purr

It produces a long, eerie screech rather than a hoot.

2. What can barn owls do when threatened?

• Bark like a fox
• Growl like a cat
• Whistle like a songbird
• Hiss like a snake (correct)

Young and adult birds can hiss like a snake when threatened.

3. What do barn owls rely on to find prey in total darkness?

• Sharp colour vision
• Extremely acute hearing (correct)
• A keen sense of smell
• Heat sensing

They locate prey by their extremely acute hearing, even in total darkness.

4. Compared with other owls their size, how much food do barn owls need?

• About half as much
• Exactly the same
• More food (correct)
• Almost none

Their much higher metabolism means they need more food than owls of similar size.

5. What makes the barn owl's flight virtually silent?

• Serrations on wing feather edges and a trailing fringe (correct)
• Extra-thick fat under the wings
• Wings that never flap
• Very light bones

Tiny serrations on the front edge of flight feathers and a soft trailing fringe smooth the airflow and cut the noise.

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