Barn Owl

Tyto alba

What They Look Like

This is a pale, slim, long-legged owl with a large, white, heart-shaped face and dark eyes.  Its breast is white to buffy and has some spots.  It stands about 18 inches tall. 

Where They Live

The Barn Owl is rare in Michigan.  They live in upland grasslands and sometimes in lowland sedge meadow and marsh.  The nest is placed in a tree cavity, cliff ledges and crevices, and also on ledges inside barns and other buildings.  They are found on every continent except Antarctica, and are common worldwide.  

What They Eat

Meadow voles make up the majority of their diet and they will also eat other rodents.  Prey is located almost entirely by sound.  Their long skinny legs are used to grab rodents out of tall grass.  They can eat over 1,000 mice in one year!

Things to Know

The Barn Owl was thought to be extremely rare in Michigan until the late 1800’s when farming cleared grasslands that it could use as habitat.  Michigan never really had good habitat for them and they prefer warmer weather.  Numbers began to decline again in the mid 1940’s due to changing agricultural practices and increase in number of their biggest predator, the Great Horned Owl, and today it is considered Extirpated in the state.

Why We Have One

MUCC got its Barn Owl in August of 1992, it was hatched and raised at Potter Park Zoo in Lansing, Michigan.  Because it was raised in captivity it cannot be returned to the wild.