How to Identify Barn Owls

By eHow Hobbies, Games & Toys Editor

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

Barn, silo or old church with a steeple
Night

Step 1:
Find a barn, silo or old church steeple to look for barn owls. They prefer these types of places since there are high areas where they can hide during the day and sleep at night.
Step 2:
Make sure you pick an area where there is a chance for the owls to hunt mice, voles, shrews, rats or other rodents. This is their food staple. When you find what they eat, it makes it easier to identify the barn owls.
Step 3:
Look for several things about the owl once you know you have spotted a barn owl. They have tawny and gray upper-parts with small black and white spots. Feathering on the lower legs may be minimal. Male and female barn owls are similar in size and appearance. But the most distinguishing thing about a barn owl is its face which is heart-shaped, white with a brownish edge and has brown marks in front of the eyes.
Step 4:
Listen for the call. This is a screech that is usually continues for awhile and thus is not made often. However if you catch a barn owl by surprise it will hiss, rasp and snap its beak at you.

Tips & Warnings

Since barn owls are found on all continents, except Antarctica, it should not be difficult to find a place where one might live.

Resources

Owl Pages Website

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