Photo by Kathy Munsel, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

American Barn Owl (Tyto furcata)

One of the most startling sounds in the black of night is the loud, harsh call of the Barn Owl as it flies over field or marsh in search of small rodents.

They are white to tan beneath with fine spotting ranging from almost none to fairly extensive. The face has a well-defined facial disc that acts as a parabolic dish collecting the faint sounds of its prey, allowing it to hunt successfully in total darkness. Male and female Barn Owls are similar in appearance though the female is somewhat larger.

The Barn owl is a fairly common permanent resident in open country west of the Cascades. East of the Cascades it is more local in its distribution being most common in agricultural areas.