EarthX TV Host Explains Why People Should Welcome Barn Owls Into Their Towns
Are you lucky enough to have a lot of owls where you live? We have many bird predators in our neighborhoods including owls, hawks, and even the occasional eagle. They are a lot of fun to find, since they're hard to spot because they are so camouflaged and blend right into the trees. EarthX TV host Ivan Carter shared a video on Tuesday, February 20th describing how barn owls hunt, and why we should welcome them into our neighborhoods.
The video starts with Ivan holding a beautiful barn owl. He describes the owls face and eyes, and how they are designed for hunting. In the caption, he explains why barn owls are good to have around, and now I'm going to be on the lookout for them!
This makes a lot of sense! These owls are very helpful, even though we might not have realized it. Commenters were taken aback by how beautiful the owl is...I was too! Its plumage is gorgeous and watching them fly and flap their wings creates a beautiful pattern. It's also why they're so hard to spot in the trees because they blend right in!
Related: Owl Who Took Up Residence at Georgia College Library Finally Gets 'Evicted'
Facts About Beautiful Barn Owls
Ivan explains in the caption that barn owls eat an enormous number of rodents in a year, and he's not kidding. These owls usually hunt and catch three to four prey items every night. They hunt for rodents like voles, mice, rats, as well as insects, other birds, and bats. They can catch prey in complete darkness thanks to those eyes, and more importantly, their stellar hearing and because they fly completely silently due to their wing design. They eat the whole thing at once, bones, skin, fur and all, then regurgitate the remains that they can't digest into a "pellet". Did you ever dissect owl pellets in school? It was one of my kids' favorite parts of science class!
Barn owls are big - about the size of a small cat - but only weigh about a pound. The females are usually more attractive looking than the males, and the males attract females with beautiful flight performances. And there's a reason they're called barn owls...they love nesting in barns! Barns offer protection from the weather and predators, and guess what you find on farmland...rodents! But these owls don't just live in barns, you can find them tree holes, chimneys, and other shallow places that protect them from weather and predators. And those pellets they hack up after they eat? They shred them and use them to build their nests. They're very resourceful!
Barn yards are useful, intelligent hunters who help with pest control...for free! I'd welcome one (or any owl really!) into my yard anytime, just not as a pet.
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