Richard and Diane Van Vleck Personal Pages
The Home Habitat

Barn Owl

Tyto alba

barn owl on silo

Barn owls have nested in our yard almost every year. Their traditional site was a chimney flue, but we have, at various times, lured them to other sites, including a nestbox in an attic window. Last year (1998), we finally were successful in attracting them to a nesting platform in the silo. The nesting was successful although only three eggs were laid, However, the fledglings weren't able to fly the width of the silo from the platform over the ladder to the opening, and ended up on the floor of the empty silo. The parents continued to feed them and they were thriving when I discovered them, but were still unable to fly straight up the silo to escape. They had probably been on the silo floor 3-5 days when I found them. My presence was enough to scare two of them to make it all the way to the top after several tries. The third one could only make it about half way up and had to be released through the work shop. All three returned to the silo the next night to be feed by the parents. The small one once again ended up on the floor, unable to ascend to the silo top and was removed through the shop. From then on, they all either managed to not fall down the silo or were able to escape. They continued returning to the silo each night for a couple weeks.

barn owl nestlings at bottom of 40' silo
Barn owl at silo entrance waiting for darkness
Barn owl pair in hayloft
Older barn owl nestlings at bottom of 40' silo
Barn owl at top of silo waiting for darkness
Barn owl pair in hayloft
Barn owl leaving attic nest box
Older barn owl nestlings at entrance to attic nest box
Barn owl at entrance to attic nest box
Barn owl leaving attic nest box
Older nestlings at entrance to attic nest box
Barn owl at attic nest box entrance
Barn owl taking mouse from aquarium feeder
Barn owl attacking lawn ornament?
Disected barn owl pellets
Barn owl taking mouse from aquarium feeder
Barn owl attacking lawn ornament??
Dissected barn owl pellets
Barn owl on chimney with vole

Barn owl entering chimney nest site with meadow vole. 
Remember Kodak Royal X Pan?


2014 Barn owl prey study
2012-2013 barn owl nesting
2011 barn owl nesting
2011 barn owl prey cam
2006 barn owl polygamy
2010 barn owl nesting
2003 barn owl nesting
2003 barn owl prey cam
The attic barn owl nest
Living with barn owls
The barn owl nest box
An interior barn owl box
Barn owl electrocution
The Barn Owl
2014 barn owl nesting - 2022 update The owls are back!

2022 update - Return of the barn owls
2021 Chimney Swift tower success!!!
2020 Barn Swallow nesting
Barn swallow nest cups
2019 Barn Swallows and Black Rat Snakes

2018 - The Barnyard Balance of Nature Goes Awry
Black rat snakes vs barn swallows, Northern flickers, kestrels and others

2018 Purple Martin preference for clam shells
2017 - Return of the Monarchs!
2017 Purple Martin prey photos
2010 - 2016 Northern flicker nestings
2014 house wren gourd use
2014 - A dramatic loss of many types of insects
2019-2020 Purple Martin nesting
2014 barn owl nesting - prey study
A new barn swallow shelter for 2013
2010 barn owl nesting
2010 Update
2016-2017 Kestrel nestings
Starling traps
Using blinds in the home habitat
Providing perches for birds
Providing snags for wildlife
The ugly young maple
2001 - 2013 nest cams
Use of tomato cages as hunting perches by insectivorous song birds
Vultures, beetles and the resurrection of life

Species of interest in our yard - photos and articles
barn owl American kestrel purple martin barn swallow Eastern bluebird
tufted titmouse Eastern phoebe yellow shafted flicker tree swallow chimney swift
house wren big brown bat Carolina wren brown thrasher catbird
cedar waxwing Northern mockingbird
Yellow warbler Acadian flycatcher

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email richard@americanartifacts.com

COPY; 2001, American Artifacts and Richard Van Vleck, Taneytown, Maryland.