Barn Owl

Tyto alba

The Barn Owl is a pale, elegant owl with a distinctive heart-shaped face, dark eyes and soft, silent wings. It is a nocturnal raptor, most active at night, and is often seen gliding low over open country while hunting for small mammals.

Features: Heart-shaped white face, pale golden-buff upperparts, white underparts, long legs and very soft feathers for silent flight.
Habitat: Open grasslands, farmland, woodland edges, wetlands and around old buildings or barns.
Location: Found across much of Australia and many parts of the world.
Behaviour: Hunts mainly at night, using exceptional hearing to locate mice, rats and other small prey in darkness.
Diet: Mostly small mammals, especially rodents, but may also take small birds, reptiles, frogs or insects.

Interesting fact:
A Barn Owl’s face acts like a satellite dish, helping direct tiny sounds toward its ears so it can hunt accurately even in near darkness.