The Barn Owl has a light, buoyant, and graceful flight with slow wing beats. When hunting the owl quarters, or shifts from side to side, flying about 10 feet (3 meters) above the ground. It may also hunt from perches such as trees and posts.
Of all owls in North America only the Barn Owl can hunt in total darkness. Although it can see well in daylight, and catch food especially when feeding young, it prefers to hunt at night, primarily by sound. Its ears are asymmetrical which allows sounds of rustling mice to arrive at each ear at slightly different times and different intensities. When the sound intensities are the same in each ear, the owl is ready to pounce.
The Barn Owl is essentially non-migratory and is well know for its reluctance to move from an area. In northern areas, however, there may be a partial southward movement of owls in the period August to December and a return northward movement in March and April. There is some local dispersal, mainly of juveniles. Banding results indicate that well over half of these birds were found within 50 miles (80 kilometers) of where they were banded as nestlings. The longest distance traveled by a single bird was 1,075 miles (1,740 kilometers).
Because the Barn Owl is not very territorial, except around the nest site, conflicts between individuals are rare. Near their breeding or roost site it prefers to slip away unnoticed. If surprised the owl will crouch forward, ruffle the body feathers and spread the wings followed by a short hissing or bill clacking.
The size of an area needed to support a pair of Barn Owls varies with availability of food, but even when mice and rats are scarce a pair needs about 1 square mile (2.5 square kilometers) of favorable habitat to live. In some situations up to 38 Barn Owls can live together in loose colonies, and breed, but hunting areas may be as far away as 2 miles (3 kilometers).
During nesting the male Barn Owl moves away to a nearby roost site always with the nest area in full view. These may include a nearby building or large stand of conifers. In winter favorite roost sites are located near hunting grounds.
For a bird of prey the Barn Owl is a short-lived bird. Most die in their first year of life with the average life expectancy of between 1 and 2 years. In North America the oldest Barn Owl in the wild lived to be 11 years, 6 months; in Holland one lived to be 17 years, 10 months old.
ADAPTATIONS
The nocturnal Barn Owl is designed for darkness with the senses of sight and hearing being most developed. Although its eyes are smaller than those of other owls it has more light sensitive rod cells inside its eyes which allows it to see better in darker situations. The eyes can also adjust very quickly, letting the Barn Owl keep its prey in constant focus; and with binocular vision of 70% through both eyes it can scan a wide area for food and enemies.
The Barn Owl is the only species that can catch prey in total darkness. It can hear a mouse squeaking, chewing on leaves, or rustling about leaves using its stiff mat of feathers on the facial disk combined with its asymmetrical ears. Sounds are actually received in its "satellite dish" and routed to the ears for pinpoint detection of prey.
Another important adaptation is the owl's very large wing area in relation to its weight. The wings are broad, long and rounded, which provides great lift and maneuverability. This enables the owl to fly very slowly, without stalling, which means it can search the environment more thoroughly, and without noise, for food.
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