The American Barn Owl, Tyto Furcata, are one of the many species that the Tyto Alba (Barn Owl) encompass. These birds belong in the Animalia kingdom and are part of the Chordata phylum. They are very distinctive owls, due to their colouring and large, round heads with flat, heart-shaped faces. Male barn owls have a lighter colouring compared to the females who are more distinctive due to their darker feathers and speckling on the chest. The barn owls are relatively small, weighing on average 474-570 grams, are as long as 37.5cm-50cm and have a wingspan of 107-110cm depending on their sex. Their long, rounded wings allow them to fly smoothly and silently, assisting them in hunting.
The owls have long legs, and rounded wings which allow stealth for hunting. The common prey for barn owls includes vole, wood rats, small squirrels and small birds. Due to the size of the owls, they have to hunt smaller animals (often mammals). These animals are frequently found closer to the ground, so the barn owls have to use stealth to hunt. They have excellent hearing and low-light vision, as well as being able to fly silently. The Barn Owls are nocturnal and can be used for human use in pest and rodent management.
Barn owls live in open habitats with low elevation. The birds prefer open land with places for …show more content…
These parts are passed through the small and large intestines where they are absorbed in the body. The insoluble parts of prey that can’t be digested, such as feathers and bones, are passed to the gizzard where they are grounded into a pellet after several hours. The formed pellet travels back up the glandular stomach where it can remain for up to 10 hours before being regurgitated. The pellet is only regurgitated when the owl is ready to feed again, as new prey cannot be swallowed