Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
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The barn owl is a true creature of the night. While most owls may occasionally be seen active during daylight hours, only a very disturbed barn owl will be seen in the sunlight! These owls can hunt entirely by sound in pitch dark conditions due to the double parabolic configuration of the feathers of the face that focuses sound to the extremely sensitive ears. All of the flying surfaces of this bird are muffled by downy feathers, making completely silent flight possible. This bird is the ultimate nighttime stealth hunter.
Because of its ability to adapt to many different ecosystems (even those disturbed by humans), the barn owl has one of the widest distributions of any living bird. This species is found on all continents except Antarctica. It's only vocalizations are raspy, screeching hisses. This year-round resident can be seen hunting throughout Zilker Park at night, feeding mainly on small mammals. They nest in any suitable cavity, natural or man-made, from hollow tress to attics and barns to cliff crevasses.
class: Aves / order: Strigiformes / family: Tytonidae / genus: Tyto / species: alba
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