Context:

Forest officials rescued a barn owl in Supaul district of Bihar, in a rate sighting.

Key Points :

=> The Barn owl is usually native to the US, the UK and other parts of Europe.

=> It is rarely seen in the Indian subcontinent.

The Barn Owl :

The Barn Owl is scientifically called as Tyto alba. It is the most widely distributed species of owl worldwide. The species is found almost everywhere in across the world, except for the polar and desert regions, Indonesia, Pacific Islands and Asia north of the Himalayas. It is also called as common barn owl.

Characteristics of the Owl :

=> The Barn owl is nocturnal for most of its range. However, in Great Britain and some Pacific Islands, the owl also hunts by day.

=> They are specialised in hunting animals on the ground.

=> All of their food comprises of small mammals, which they locate by sound.

=> They are a medium-sized, pale-coloured owl, having long wings and a short & squarish tail.

=> They have a typical wingspan of 80 to 95 cm.

Breeding season :

In the tropical regions, the Barn owls can breed at any time of year. However, some seasonality in nesting is still evident. In the regions of distinct wet & dry seasons, egg-laying generally takes place during the dry season. In arid regions like Australia, breeding might be irregular and might happen in wet periods.