Country life
Photo : Barn Owl Moon by Darin Smith
10 things you didn ’ t know about
Barn Owls
• Baby barn owls are called owlets .
• Barn owls do not hoot like some other owls – instead they make eerie screeching and hissing noises .
• Typically , barn owls live for around 4 years in the wild .
• Barn Owls are birds of prey and mainly hunt small mammals .
• They have the most sensitive hearing of any animal ever tested , and have been known to catch prey in total darkness using their hearing alone .
• Barn owls have lop-sided ears - one is higher than the other , which helps them to pinpoint exactly where tiny sounds are coming from .
• They have incredibly soft feathers – this means they can fly almost silently , enabling them to hear the tiny sounds produced by their prey and approach undetected .
• Barn owls ’ heart shaped face collects sound and directs it towards their ears .
• Their eyes are adapted to the dark and are , on average , twice as light sensitive as ours .
• They have very long legs , toes and talons – this helps them catch prey hidden beneath deep vegetation .
Discover more with your local Wildlife Trust www . hiwwt . org . uk
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