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Barn Owl


Barn Owl
Photo Information
Copyright: Joe Kellard (joey) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1697 W: 242 N: 5609] (19923)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-04-06
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon Powershot S3 IS
Exposure: f/3.5, 1/1600 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): My Photos for my website [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-05-12 5:28
Viewed: 634
Favorites: 2 [view]
Points: 40
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Barn owl
Tyto alba
There are over 30 subspecies of barn owl, and with a few exceptions, they are distributed world-wide.

Statistics
Barn owls are about 34cm long, with a wingspan of 90cm. Males average about 300g, and females weigh an average of 362g.



Physical Description
With their large heart-shaped face, white under-parts and pale golden back and wings, barn owls look like ghostly apparitions at night.

Barn owls further north of Europe are a darker shade than the race found in the UK. The eyes are positioned on the front of the face, like most predators, to allow a good perception of depth and the ability to isolate prey.



Distribution
Barn owls are widely distributed, and range throughout Europe (except Scandinavia), southern Asia, Africa and parts of America and Australia.



Habitat
They nest in farm buildings as well as churches, sheds and natural holes in trees. They inhabit farmland and other open country with scattered trees.



Behaviour
Barn owls are typically nocturnal, although they can sometimes be spotted hunting during the day, especially when they have young to feed. They sometimes hunt birds, but mostly hunt small mammals, in particular, short-tailed voles, using sound to detect their prey.

The short feathers that form the facial disc enhance the barn owl's hearing by forming a groove, which helps direct sound waves to the ear opening.



Reproduction
Barn owls live alone or in pairs, and tend to mate for life. The female lays a clutch of 4-7 eggs in April to early May, which hatch after about 33 days. The male helps feed the young and the chicks can fly after 9-12 weeks. They sometimes breed twice a year.



Conservation status
Barn owls have declined in Britain, due in part to the reduction of derelict old buildings and due to the use of persistent pesticides, such as DDT, which prey consume, and eventually quantities build up in the predator, causing weak egg-shells.

The releasing of captive bred barn owls into the wild is illegal.

Barn owls are considered to be rare and are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981, under which it is an offence to intentionally disturb them while nesting. There are many conservation schemes to try to ensure that the feeding and nesting resources that the birds need are available. Barn owls are not listed in the 2000 IUCN Red List. Recent census work shows that the population has bottomed out in the last ten or fifteen years at about 4,400 pairs.

Voice
Barn owls do not hoot, instead they emit a long, eerie screech (hence its alternative name, the screech owl). They also hiss, snore and yap.

Taken: Cotswold Wildlife Park
iris, bobcat08, GLEM, fartash, Hil, Finland_in_Eton, ridvan, ramthakur, JORAPAVI, manuel1982 has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Csaba1981: Thanksjoey 1 06-25 04:06
To Evelynn: Thanksjoey 2 05-15 12:11
To Heyshamite: Captivejoey 1 05-15 10:36
To JORAPAVI: Thankyoujoey 1 05-14 06:55
To elefantino: Thankyoujoey 1 05-14 06:50
To ramthakur: Thanksjoey 1 05-13 12:24
To OzBY: Thanksjoey 1 05-13 12:23
To gannu: Thanksjoey 1 05-13 12:22
To ridvan: Thanksjoey 1 05-12 17:00
To radz: Thankyoujoey 1 05-12 16:54
To Finland_in_Eton: Barn Owljoey 1 05-12 16:53
To Hil: Thanksjoey 1 05-12 16:52
To fartash: Thanksjoey 1 05-12 07:35
To GLEM: Thankyoujoey 1 05-12 07:35
To bobcat08: Thanksjoey 1 05-12 06:23
To iris: Thanksjoey 1 05-12 06:14
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • iris Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 392 W: 41 N: 735] (2314)
  • [2007-05-12 6:09]
  • [+]

Very interesting close-up of teh Barn Owl , Joey!!
Ihave n'ver seen one as fair as this one..good lighting too.
TFS & Cheers

Hi Yoey,

What a beauty. A sharp close-up. A good POV and BG. The colors are well saturated and naturel. Well done. TFS Bob

  • Great 
  • GLEM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 524 W: 87 N: 693] (5739)
  • [2007-05-12 6:53]
  • [+]

salut Joye,
tu progesses vite :D super résultat.
Le portrait est vraiment réussi avec une excellente de la netteté. Juste une petite OE sur le cou, un pičge classique.

gl

Hello Joe
Very intersting portrait of this Barn Owl,
I think they're wonderful :-)
Great compo, DOF and lighting,
Perfect details, Welldone,friend.

Regards
Fartash

  • Great 
  • Hil Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 744 W: 11 N: 1412] (4849)
  • [2007-05-12 8:12]
  • [+]

Hi Joey,

What a fine shot of the Barn Owl, I really like the tight crop with the head and shds filling the frame, and its a lovely POV too, very good detail and lovely colours too.

TFS Hilary :o)

Stunning close up portrait. Well done, Joey ! I like the close crop, really makes the composition work. Colors and detail are excellent, good DOF. TFS, Mish

  • Great 
  • radz Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 615 W: 11 N: 625] (3352)
  • [2007-05-12 11:07]
  • [+]

Nice portrait ,well controlled exposure!Looking cute.

selam joe; excellent close up shot of this interesting owl,good details presented ,nice BG and POV well captured with beautiful colours TFS
regards
ridvan

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 929 W: 4 N: 2322] (10812)
  • [2007-05-13 5:50]
  • [+]

Joe very interesting closeup of this barn owl. Lovely. Great shot and lovely lighting. ganesh

  • Great 
  • OzBY Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 182 W: 2 N: 310] (1069)
  • [2007-05-13 11:30]
  • [+]

Hi Yoey,

Great portrait of this Barn owl.
Great color, lighting, sharpness and background

Oz

A very graphic study of the face of this Barn Owl in the form of a close-up portrait, Joe.
White subjects are difficult to capture, but you have done a great job by way of details, colours and contrasts that contribute towards this very effective composition.
TFS.

This is my fovourite nacturnal raptor!!!!
And this is a great pic, really sharp and detailed.
Andrea

Ah my favorite owl. It is an owl however that we would often see as road kill in California. I don't know why. This is a great shot of one. It is sharp with good natural color. I like the close crop.

TFS
Evelynn : )

Hola Joe,
Extraordinario retrato, la luz y nitidez son fantásticas. Saludos
José Ramón

Buena foto joey.

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2084 W: 216 N: 3767] (12502)
  • [2007-05-15 4:52]

Hi Joey

This is a very beautiful portrait of this wonderful Barn Owl.
These really are beautiful bird and i remember their plumage being the softest one i've ever toutched :)
You really nailed it here with the exposure and also with the DOF. I like seeing everything in good focus and all those colors no nicely on those feathers.
Good compo and POV, too.

Bravo and TFS
Horia

Hi Joe,
Nice sharp picture of this Barn Owl. Was it a wild one? The bright white feathering is not good for photographing in sunlight and needs to be under exposed to keep the detail.
TFS.
Peter

thats really nice catch.

Hello Joey,

You did a really good work with this one. Tha details are stunning - it seems to me that I can touch it and feel the softness of the feathers. You know what you are doing as I see the background is blurred as it anticipated. Sharpness is more than fine. Well done!

TFS
Csaba

Hi Joe
Great shot of this beautiful barn owl.
well done
thanks for shareing
jemima:D

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