Shannon 2022
BARN OWL
BARN OWL
Barn Owl: Tyto Alba
General species: Strigiformes
PURPOSE OF RESEARCH
Why did I conduct research on this species? I identified a problem of insufficient knowledge being accessible to the public about the Barn Owl. Also I found existing information available is full of contradictions.
INTRODUCTION
There are eleven types of species of owls. Seven of those are found amongst bush heritage reserves. One being the Barn Owl. Their life span ranges from two to four years in the wild.
Barn owls don't have a definite season. Their breeding often takes place depending on their food supply, which commonly happens twice a year. Pale white eggs are laid in two day increments. The female will incubate the eggs whilst both the parents care for their young. The young will stay perched in the vicinity of the nest site and be feed for up to a month or so after leaving the nest. A typical clutch size is an average of three to six eggs, rarely up to twelve. The young stay in the nest for up to ten days after birth. Their nest is normally hollow inside trees, but sometimes they will nest in caves or inside abandoned buildings.
LIFESTYLE
Barn owls mostly feed on smaller mammals, mainly rodents and birds, along with some insects, frogs and lizards. Barn owls are excellent hunters, they hunt in the dark and they search for their prey on the ground using their exceptional hearing. They usually swallow their prey whole and it passes down into their gizzard. The gizzard is an organ that uses digestive fluid along with bits of sand and gravel to grind up and dissolve digestible materials. Soft tissue such as muscles, fats, and internal organs are easily processed whereas tougher material including bones, fur, feathers, teeth and claws are harder to digest. The gizzard then compacts these leftovers into a tight pallet that the owl will later regurgitate.
HABITAT
During the day, the barn owl will roost in hollow logs, caves or, in dense trees and they are usually seen alone or in pairs. Their preferred habitat is open and often arid (dry) country, such as farms and large open lightly wooded forests. Under current conditions, the barn owl had a secure position. Predators of the barn owl include animals such as the Wedge-Tail Eagle, and motor vehicles. Nestlings are most vulnerable to feral cats and pythons.
FEATURES
Barn owls are medium sized, slim and pale birds with females being slightly bigger in size than males. They have long wings, hooked beaks and a smooth head. They have a heart shaped facial disc that helps assist the bird in finding its prey by accelerating the noise as it as it works to trap and focus on the sound around them. They are light coloured birds with blotches of rich buff underparts which is also covered in tiny tear-shaped markings. The underparts are cream, white or buff with fine, dark-brown streaks.
ENVIRONMENTAL FUTURE
The causes of decline include loss and fragmentation of grassland foraging habitat, intensification of agricultural practices, urbanisation, and road development which is also linked to road moralities. It also suffers from severe winters. Increased mechanisation of farmland in its northern range has meant the loss of important foraging sites, such as stockyards and stables, and the loss of abandoned farm buildings suitable for nest-sites. Organochlorine pesticides in the 1950s and 1960s and rodenticides in the 1970s and 1980s had disastrous effects on many owl populations in Europe, particularly north-west Europe, parts of North America and north-east Australia.
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for vulnerability. This is due to a decline in habitat, quality and population size.
ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS
Interventions to help may involve the installation of nest boxes suitable for owls such as barn owl Tyto Alba in farm buildings.
Flowering plants are sown into strips or blocks, providing forage resources for bees and other flower-visiting insects. Increased insect numbers may then provide food for more birds. Nectar flower mixture may include agricultural varieties of flowering plants such as clovers.
Captive breeding is normally used to provide individuals which can then be released into the wild to either restore a population in part of the species former range, or to augment an existing population.
Release techniques vary considerably, from ‘hard releases’ involving the simple release of individuals into the wild to ‘soft releases’ which involve a variety of adaptation and acclimatisation techniques before release or post-release feeding and care. The following section includes studies describing the overall effects of release projects. Studies that compare specific release techniques are described elsewhere (‘Use holding pens at release sites’, ‘Use ‘anti-predator training’ to improve survival after release’ etc).
SUMMARY OF PURPOSE
I have gained confidence and have shared knowledge with others. I have learned how to research information, how to cross-reference that information, how to set up a research document and am now able to do more research on other endangered species.
Research conducted by Shannon Watkins June 2022