Barn Owl question (1 Viewer)

[John P]

I have a Barn Owl living (in a barn surprisingly) about fifty yards from where I'm currently working. I saw it regularly during the winter due to me arriving and leaving in the gloom.

It was out today at 10.15 am in glorious sunny weather, should I assume that it's hunting for food for a mate incubating eggs or was that just an aberration?

 

[fugl]

I have a Barn Owl living (in a barn surprisingly) about fifty yards from where I'm currently working. I saw it regularly during the winter due to me arriving and leaving in the gloom.

It was out today at 10.15 am in glorious sunny weather, should I assume that it's hunting for food for a mate incubating eggs or was that just an aberration?

The female does all the incubating (I believe), so the bird you saw would be the male.

 

[citrinella]

I have a Barn Owl living (in a barn surprisingly) about fifty yards from where I'm currently working. I saw it regularly during the winter due to me arriving and leaving in the gloom.

It was out today at 10.15 am in glorious sunny weather, should I assume that it's hunting for food for a mate incubating eggs or was that just an aberration?

Daylight feeding occurs under pressure - and that pressure is normal here in Scotland at different times of year for different reasons. For instance, in summer hours of darkness are so short that birds feeding young normally hunt evenings and early mornings.

However, hunting at 10.15 am at this time of year here is very unusual. I wonder if it had been disturbed from it's roost ?

It would be unlikely to be breeding this early in the year - though Barn owl can breed at any time of year if they are in good enough condition. The female must be in good condition - I've seen minimum 400g body weight suggested - to lay. If the birds were genuinely under pressure, it seems unlikely they would have reached good enough condition yet, so breeding might not be likely ...

Mike.

 

[John P]

However, hunting at 10.15 am at this time of year here is very unusual. I wonder if it had been disturbed from it's roost ?

.

Mike.

It was out again this morning, following the same hedge line as before but about ten minutes earlier than yesterday. The barn is on an occupied farm (close to the farmhouse) but in a very quiet rural area, possibly someone from the farm disturbs it now and again but I'm assuming that the owl is used to any movements from there and presumably prepared to tolerate them.

Is it really too early for breeding? My old Larousse guide says March - April for egg laying.

 

[mr.sim]

I've heard from a local game keeper that Owls are some of the earliest breeders and that many will already be nesting...in my opinion it was probably hunting due to the extra mouths to feed soon - maybe even already! Got any pics? Owls are some of my favourite birds...

Edit: Just looked in BWP and for Barn Owl it says that egg-laying takes place from March/early April through until September. It also says that at the start of the breeding season (now) males will fly around the nest site in order to attract females and deter intruders. Not sure if this means they will also fly in the day time though...

 

[John P]

I've heard from a local game keeper that Owls are some of the earliest breeders and that many will already be nesting...in my opinion it was probably hunting due to the extra mouths to feed soon - maybe even already! Got any pics? Owls are some of my favourite birds...
.

Thanks for your help, sort of confirms what I was thinking.

I'm working on the pics angle, it's not ideally situated cos I'm looking into the sun for any views I get during the day and I do have to work as well, but hopefully later in the year when the sun sets further round I will sort something out.

I did go over there one evening several weeks back just to make sure the owl was living in the barn. There's a rough grass field between the barn and the footpath which is often hunted by a Kestrel. I got set up on the footpath 150 yards away from the barn and facing the doorway, the owl came out virtually on the dot of sunset turned left then left again around the side of the barn and away out of sight.||

 

[citrinella]

Thanks for your help, sort of confirms what I was thinking.

As I said, Barn owl can, theoretically, breed at any time of year. Tawnies tend to be earlier though - I have reports of tawnies having flown the nest in London this year already. In this case I'm not ruling anything in, or out

I got set up on the footpath 150 yards away from the barn and facing the doorway, the owl came out virtually on the dot of sunset turned left then left again around the side of the barn and away out of sight.||

Glad you are keeping well away. For those who don't know, a wee reminder that Barn owls have Schedule 1 protection. For any disturbance at the nest you need a license, for photography you need a special endorsement to that license. Licenses are not normally given except for participation in recognized studies.

Mike.

 

[Richard W]

been checking the sites where I have boxes (under license) this week and although there seems to be an increase in activity lately both M & F are still leaving to hunt at dusk so looks like it's still a little early for eggs here.

do see them hunting at odd times occasionally, usually following bad weather.

 

[littlerobinredbreast]

Aren't owls nocturnal? So was the owl out during the day getting food for it's partner then? You're so lucky you get to see the barn owls. I love barn owls!! Sadly I found a dead one when I was younger, but it was in perfect condition so I took into my school for a project - the class were in awe at how beautiful it was!

 

[Alan Tilmouth]

Daylight hunting Barn Owls are not unusual, there have been several this year regularly daylight hunting along the North East coast. Whilst Barn Owls may at times resort to hunting in daylight due to being 'under pressure' research has shown that they time their hunting to the activity cycles of their main prey species (voles). Voles are generally more active in the hour before dusk and after dawn and individual Barn Owls if not subject to significant mobbing may regularly hunt at these times in order to maximise the likelhood of catching prey. In addition Barn Owls eyesight is not wonderful and daylight hunting improves the chances of catching prey.

 

[martin kitching]

As Alan said, daylight hunting Barn Owls are not unusual. I've watched them hunting at all times of day, at all times of the year. 11:30am on a brilliant sunny morning in mid-July came as a bit of a surprise though...

cheers
martin

 

[citrinella]

In addition Barn Owls eyesight is not wonderful and daylight hunting improves the chances of catching prey.

While I agree whole-heartedly that their eyesight is poor, I don't think that it follows that daylight hunting improves their chances.

Barn owls hunt mainly by sound. In daylight there is more noise pollution. That would make it more difficult for them. In addition they are then in competition with diurnal hunters - notably buzzards and kestrel. What is more, recorded cases of buzzard / barn owl interaction have not been good for the owl :-(

Mike.

 

[Alan Tilmouth]

While I agree whole-heartedly that their eyesight is poor, I don't think that it follows that daylight hunting improves their chances.

Barn owls hunt mainly by sound. In daylight there is more noise pollution. That would make it more difficult for them. In addition they are then in competition with diurnal hunters - notably buzzards and kestrel. What is more, recorded cases of buzzard / barn owl interaction have not been good for the owl :-(

Mike.

As I understand it, it's not simply that daylight hunting improves their chances, it's the combination of peaks in vole activity where Short-Tailed Voles are the main prey species and the improved vision offered by daylight hunting.
This was one of the conclusions drawn by Bunn, Warburton & Wilson (1982) in their studies for the monograph 'The Barn Owl'.
They also concluded that "severe mobbing and/or human disturbance has an inhibitory effect on daytime emergence."
Regarding hearing vs sight in hunting Barn Owls' use both but the importance of sight can be demonstrated by reserach at the Cornell Lab in US where they tested the hunting effciency in light and total darkness. The tests demonstrated a near 100% effciency in daylight but only 70-75% hit rate in total darkness.

Alan

 

[citrinella]

As I understand it, it's not simply that daylight hunting improves their chances, it's the combination of peaks in vole activity where Short-Tailed Voles are the main prey species and the improved vision offered by daylight hunting.
This was one of the conclusions drawn by Bunn, Warburton & Wilson (1982) in their studies for the monograph 'The Barn Owl'.
They also concluded that "severe mobbing and/or human disturbance has an inhibitory effect on daytime emergence."
Regarding hearing vs sight in hunting Barn Owls' use both but the importance of sight can be demonstrated by reserach at the Cornell Lab in US where they tested the hunting effciency in light and total darkness. The tests demonstrated a near 100% effciency in daylight but only 70-75% hit rate in total darkness.

Alan

Thanks for the background Alan.

Mike.