Barn Owl

How to identify

With a heart-shaped face, beige back and wings and pure white underparts, the Barn Owl is a distinctive and much-loved countryside bird. Widely distributed across the UK and the rest of the world, this bird suffered declines through the 20th century and is thought to have been impacted by organochlorine pesticides such as DDT in the 1950s and 1960s. 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. Barn Owls are a Schedule 1 and 9 species, meaning it's illegal to intentionally or recklessly disturb them, and it's also illegal to release them into the wild in the UK.

Call

Patrik Åberg / xeno-canto

Key features to look out for

Distinctive, heart-shaped face
Dark eyes
Pure white underside
Buff and grey mottling on back and wings
Long legs – great for plucking prey from the undergrowth

Conservation status

Barn Owls are on the Green List of least conservation concern.

Where and when to see them

Difficulty rating - Medium

Barn Owls are easier to spot than some other owls, especially in autumn and winter when they hunt during the day. They sometimes hunt along country roads, so keep a lookout for a ghostly white shape in your car headlights.

Look out for Barn Owls perched on fence posts or flying low over farmland and rough grassy areas — especially at dawn or dusk. You’ll need to keep your eyes peeled though, as their silent flight makes them easy to miss.