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The American barn owl is a medium-sized, pale-coloured owl with long wings and a short, squarish tail. [3] However, the largest-bodied race of barn owl, T. f. furcata from Cuba and Jamaica, is also an island race, albeit being found on more sizeable islands with larger prey and few larger owls competing for dietary resources. [4]
The barn owls (Tyto species, particularly Tyto alba) are the most widely distributed group of owls in the world. They are medium-sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs with powerful talons. The term may be used to describe:
Compared to other owls of similar size, the barn owl has a much higher metabolic rate, requiring relatively more food. Relative to its size, barn owls consume more rodents. Studies have shown that an individual barn owl may eat one or more voles (or their equivalent) per night, equivalent to about fourteen percent of the bird's bodyweight.
Adult body mass is also variable, with male owls from the Galapagos weighing 260 g (9.2 oz), while male Pacific barn owls average 555 g (19.6 oz). In general, owls living on small islands are smaller and lighter, perhaps because they have a higher dependence on insect prey and need to be more manoeuvrable. [11]
Male masked owls' weights ranges from 420 to 800 g (0.93 to 1.76 lb), while females are typically much larger ranging from 545 to 1,260 g (1.202 to 2.778 lb). [3] [4] Length ranges between 330 to 410 mm (13 to 16 in) for males and 390 to 500 mm (15 to 20 in) for females. Wing span is up to 1,280 mm (50 in) for southern female masked owls.
A different theory suggests that the size difference between male and females is due to sexual selection: since large females can choose their mate and may violently reject a male's sexual advances, smaller male owls that have the ability to escape unreceptive females are more likely to have been selected.
Compared to other owls of similar size, the barn owl has a much higher metabolic rate, requiring relatively more food. Weight for weight, barn owls consume more rodents—often regarded as pests by humans—than possibly any other creature. This makes the barn owl one of the most economically valuable wildlife animals for agriculture.
Female. The Tasmanian masked owl (Tyto novaehollandiae castanops) is a bird in the barn owl family Tytonidae that is endemic to the island state of Tasmania, Australia.It is the largest subspecies of the Australian masked owl, the largest Tyto owl in the world, [3] and is sometimes considered a full species.