About the Barn Owl
Info for kids
PDF Documents are used throughout this site. Click here to get Adobe Reader to be able to view these documents.
Info for kids
Welcome to our pages especially designed for young people! Here you can find great information about Barn Owls as well as plenty of ideas for things to make and do.
Did you know? .....
- Barn Owls hunt at night, and although they have very good eyesight, they rely mostly on their sense of hearing.
- Barn Owls eat mainly small mammals like voles, shrews and mice. Prey is often swallowed whole and indigestible parts are then regurgitated in the form of a pellet.
- Barn Owls do not hoot - they screech.
- The latin name for Barn Owl is Tyto alba alba.
- Barn Owls have remarkably long legs, toes and talons enabling them to catch prey at the base of deep vegetation.
- When viewed from above Barn Owls are quite well camouflaged, as the rough grassland over which they usually hunt is predominantly light brown for most of the year.
- Owl ears are located one higher than the other, increasing sound reception.
- During flight, the left ear captures sounds below while the right ear focuses on sounds from above.
- The feathers on the edge of the Barn Owls' face create a disc, which works to trap and focus sound, rather like our outer ears.
- Researchers found that in total blackness the Barn Owls are still able to find the smallest of prey because of their excellent hearing.
- On average a wild Barn Owl eats about 4 small mammals per night, that's 1,460 per year.
Make your own Barn Owl pellet truffles
Make a Barn Owl mobile
Owl Sounds
Visits to junior schools & youth groups
Barn Owl colouring page
Owlet Picture Gallery
Owl Jokes
Become an Owlet!
How can you help?
