Barn Owl - Tyto alba

Barn Owl, Tyto alba, snoozing the day away deep within the fronds of a large palm tree at the Salton Sea, California. Barn owls are the most widespread and successful owls worldwide and indeed, one of the most widespread of all birds in general. In fact, they are even found in Hawaii! Barn owls prefer open grassy hunting grounds on the edge of forested areas where they hunt for rodents and other small vertebrates. A nesting pair of barn owls may consume as much as 1000 rodents in a year.