This golden buff and white owl could be confused with African Grass-Owl but is much paler and has less contrast between the upperparts and the underparts. The heart-shaped, white facial disc highlights the small, black eyes.
Juvenile resembles adult.
Diverse; from deserts to moist savanna. often found near human habitation but also roosts in caves, hollow trees and mine shafts.
The barn owl is an efficient hunter, mainly preying on small mammals, birds and large insects. Usually in pairs, it hunts on the wing and swallows its prey whole. The resulting pellets produced by these owls, which consist of indigested hair and bones, may assist scientists in their research of past fauna.
Barn owls generally breed in late summer, but may also breed throughout the year if there is sufficient food available. They make use of a wide variety of nest sites, from tree holes to buildings. Up to twelve eggs may be prduced, and the young are fledged within 50 days of hatching.
Many and varied calls, the most usual being an eerie 'shreeee'..