The barn owl is a pale, silent hunter found across much of the world. Here is what it eats and its remarkable way of finding prey.
What barn owls eat
Barn owls feed mainly on small rodents such as mice, voles, rats and shrews, which make up the bulk of their diet. They may also take small birds, bats and large insects when rodents are scarce. A single barn owl can eat thousands of rodents in a year, making it a valuable natural pest controller for farmers. They swallow small prey whole and later cough up pellets of bone and fur. For a wider look, see what owls eat.
Hunting by sound
Barn owls are famous for hunting in near-total darkness by sound alone. Their heart-shaped facial disc funnels the faintest rustles toward their ears, which are set at slightly different heights to pinpoint prey with astonishing accuracy. Combined with silent flight from soft-edged feathers, this lets them drop onto a mouse it cannot see. They typically hunt low over fields and meadows at night. Explore related species in types of owls and the wider birds of prey group.