Statistics
Barn owls are about 34cm long, with a wingspan of 90cm. Males average about 300g, and females weigh an average of 362g.

Physical Description
With their large heart-shaped face, white under-parts and pale golden back and wings, barn owls look like ghostly apparitions at night. The eyes are positioned on the front of the face, like most predators, to allow a good perception of depth and the ability to isolate prey.

Habitat: They nest in farm buildings as well as churches, sheds and natural holes in trees. They inhabit farmland and other open country with scattered trees.

Diet: They sometimes hunt birds, but mostly hunt small mammals, in particular, short-tailed voles, using sound to detect their prey.

Behaviour: Barn owls are typically nocturnal, although they can sometimes be spotted hunting during the day, especially when they have young to feed.

The short feathers that form the facial disc enhance the barn owl's hearing by forming a groove, which helps direct sound waves to the ear opening.

Reproduction: Barn owls live alone or in pairs, and tend to mate for life. The female lays a clutch of 4-7 eggs in April to early May, which hatch after about 33 days. The male helps feed the young and the chicks can fly after 9-12 weeks. They sometimes breed twice a year.

Barn owls are considered to be rare and are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981, under which it is an offence to intentionally disturb them while nesting. There are many conservation schemes to try to ensure that the feeding and nesting resources that the birds need are available. Barn owls are not listed in the 2000 IUCN Red List. Recent census work shows that the population has bottomed out in the last ten or fifteen years at about 4,400 pairs.

Barn Owl Ringing.

This Barn Owl nesting site in an old barn was far easier to get at. The birds are being rung by Pawl Willet, Mick Douch, both BTO barn Owl ringers and Andrew Menzies. They are all volunteers who work with barn owls in the Pickering & Malton area.

These 5 young Barn Owls were in the nest , the oldest nearly at flying stage.

My daughter Laura and I admiring these beautiful juvenile Barn Owls.
All fledged to adult hood and could be seen flying the grassy paddocks close to the River Rye.