The Barn Owl (Tyto alba) is a year-round resident through much of San Diego County. And an increasing number of San Diegans are attracting Barn Owls as an agent of natural rodent control by hanging nestboxes in trees. An adult Barn Owl will typically eat 2-3 rodents a night. And a family of owls can increase that to about 10. So that equates to more than 2,000 rodents per year!

Barn Owls are nocturnal raptors and kill their prey with strong grasping talons. With their remarkable hearing and excellent low-light vision, they can accurately strike and capture prey at night in total darkness. They have a large 43-inch wingspan, and fly slowly and silently while hunting. Owls swallow their prey whole, in one piece. Later they regurgitate the left-overs in a "pellet" of fur, bones and teeth. These pellets are found under their nests and where they roost. The Barn Owl makes a loud scree-eech sound; a raspy hiss; or a series of clicks. The Great Horned Owl makes the more familiar "who hoo-ing" sound.

Barn Owls are generally monogamous and pairs often stay together for as long as both are alive. In San Diego County, Barn Owls often lay eggs between February and April. Owlets will hatch 30 days later and leave the nest between May and July. Female Barn Owls lay an egg every other day, with clutch sizes ranging from 3 to 8 eggs. The female incubates the eggs for a month while the male feeds her. Right after hatching, the mother tears up pieces of food with her beak to feed the chicks. She will stay with the young owls until the youngest is about 12 days old and has a good coat of down. Once the owlets are able to swallow their food whole, then both parents bring rodent after rodent to them all night long for about 2 months. At about 8 weeks, the fledglings start flight practice for about a month before leaving the box. Barn Owls are fun to observe and lights don't seem to bother them much. A pair of binoculars will allow you to watch their activities up close.