Meet The Barn Owl

Barn Owls (Tyto alba) are a year round resident of Maryland, found all throughout the state, especially in rural or coastal areas. The Barn Owl is an easy one to pick out, because of its signature heart-shaped face. These owls prefer to live in grasslands, marshes, and hayfields. In our area, they are typically found near farm lands and open fields. Unfortunately in recent years, the populations of Barn Owls has decreased, due to the loss of habitat and the increased use of rodenticides which can kill off the owls’ prey and poison the Barn Owls if ingested. Unlike some of its relatives that make the well known Whooo Whooo sound, the Barn Owl’s calll sounds like screaming. To learn more about Barn Owls, visit www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barn_Owl/overview

This edition of Wildlife Wednesday was by Zander Hine, ACWA Student Board member