Western Barn Owl

Also known as Common Barn Owl, White Owl, Screech Owl, Ghost Owl

Western barn owls hunt silently over open fields and meadows, relying on extraordinarily sensitive, asymmetrical ears to pinpoint rodents under dense grass or in total darkness. Their pale, heart-shaped facial discs funnel subtle sounds directly to the ear canals while specialized serrated flight feathers muffle wingbeats. Monogamous pairs frequently nest in quiet church towers, derelict barns, or deep tree hollows, returning to identical breeding territories year after year.