Barn Owl

Medium-sized owl with a heart-shaped facial disc and deep dark eyes; the only Tyto owl present across most of its range; on Hispaniola compare to Ashy-faced Owl. Varies across a wide range, but always note white-and-black speckling on the upperparts, beautiful gray-and-tawny wings, and large round head. Color of the facial disc and underparts varies from pure white to rusty orange. Hunts in open areas by night, foraging with a slow and buoyant flight. Roosts in old buildings, tree hollows, caves, and nest boxes by day. Gives a bone-chilling, rising shriek, as well as shorter rasping calls and insect-like clicks.

In Sri Lanka, barn owls are typically found in open areas near human settlements, particularly around old buildings, farmlands, and villages, where they can easily access their primary prey of rodents like rats and mice; this includes abandoned buildings, granaries, and even within towns, making their habitat primarily characterized by a mix of open grassland and human-made structures.

In Sri Lanka, the Barn Owl primarily feeds on small mammals like rats, shrews, and other rodents, making them a valuable pest control agent in agricultural areas; their diet is largely dependent on the locally abundant rodent species available in their hunting grounds, often including field mice and other small creatures found in rice paddies and grasslands where they hunt close to the ground.