Convervation status: Amber 1 video Latin nameTyto alba FamilyOwls (Tytonidae) OverviewWith heart-shaped face, buff back and wings and pure white underparts, the barn owl is a distinctive and much-loved countryside bird. Widely distributed across the UK, and indeed the world, this bird has suffered declines through the 20th century and is thought to have been adversely affected by organochlorine pesticides such as DDT in the 1950s and '60s. Nocturnal birds like the barn owl are poorly monitored by the Breeding Bird Survey and, subject to this caveat, numbers may have increased between 1995-2008. Where to see themOpen country, along field edges, riverbanks and roadside verges. When to see themAll year round; during the day, but best at dusk. What they eatMice, voles and shrews Estimated numbers| Europe | UK breeding* | UK wintering* | UK passage* |
|---|
| 110-220,000 pairs | 3,000-5,000 pairs | 12,500-25,000 birds | - |
* UK breeding is the number of pairs breeding annually. UK wintering is the number of individuals present from October to March. UK passage is the number of individuals passing through on migration in spring and/or autumn. Distribution
- Worldwide
- Cosmopolitan
Please note that the map is only intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations. Sound: Marco Dragonetti, Xeno-canto | Print page  Barn owl perching  Barn owl Similar birds |