Animal Quick Facts
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Size
Adults are typically 13 to 16 inches in length, have a wingspan between 36 and 45 inches, and weigh 10 to 13 ounces. Females are larger than males.
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Diet
Small rodents, baby rabbits, bats, frogs, lizards, birds, and insects.
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Lifespan
2 to 5 years in the wild; 15 years in human care.
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Range
Found almost anywhere in the world except for polar regions. May nest in abandoned buildings, barns, and caves.
Tyto alba pratincole
Location in the Zoo: Kids Kingdom
Female barn owls will lay two to eight eggs every two or three days, depending on food supply. The incubation period is 29-34 days, after which the owlets are born. They are monogamous. A healthy pair of barn owls may have two clutches per year. With the decline of farming in North America, the barns and other shelters these owls have typically utilized are also on the decline, which threatens them. The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium has conducted a breeding program and tracking research on these once plentiful animals to help bring back the population.
Barn owls are nocturnal hunters and prefer to pursue prey while perched on a fence or post instead of hovering over a field as other predatory birds. A barn owl will attack its prey in a low flight, grab it with its feet, and nip it through the back of the skull with its bill.