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Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
Below: Two Barn Owls are quickly documented and left at peace (Some Barn, Maryland, 6/2009).
Comments: The strangely beautiful Barn Owl is so distinctive in form that it is placed in a different family than all other North American owls (Tytonidae vice Strigidae). It can be found throughout much of the continent in close contact with man, but has experienced a signficant decline in the Mid-Atlantic. With the aid of its "facial disks" and asymetrically positioned ear openings, it can successfully hunt in complete darkness. It feeds primarily on small mammals like rats and mice, making it a welcome resident on most farms. Barn Owls nest in both natural and man-made shelters including barns, abandoned buildings, tree cavities, caves, and, as in this case, silos. The otherworldly shriek of this owl sounds somewhat like a demon escaping from hell. Photos taken at two sites in Maryland (6/12/2005 and 4/8/2007, respectively).