Endangered Species: Common Barn Owl

Endangered Species: Common Barn Owl

A Christiansburg Elementary Project
Submitted by Jake of Christiansburg Elementary School
Christiansburg, Virginia, U.S.A.

Common Barn Owl
This image courtesy of Virginia's Endangered Species

Why Study This Topic?	What Was Already Known	Search for Information	Description of Plant or Animal	Habitat Requirements
Adaptations	Reasons for Endangerment	Restoration Actions	What Was Learned	Conclusions from Research

Why Study This Topic?

I want to find out why this animal is endangered (what is killing it). I also want to find out the basics such as what it eats, its predators, where it lives, and the other basic information. I am interested in studying the Barn Owl, because I want to find the reasons for endangerment. Could it possibly be another animal not belonging in their environment or could it be man made materials interrupting the life of the Barn Owl? The last thing I want to find out about the Common Barn Owl is how to save this animal from extinction.

What Was Already Known

I already knew the obvious information such as it lays eggs, and that is on every continent except Antarctica. I also know that the Barn Owl does not live any type of forest. I think a reason for its endangerment is that rural habitats (where the barn owls home is) are being destroyed. Urban population buys out the land where Barn Owls live. That is one reason I think the barn Owl is endangered and continuing to die off.

Search for Information

Many people would recommend looking in books. I searched in one book. For the rest of my information I used modern technology which were computers. On the computers I went to the Internet to begin my search on the Common Barn Owl. I used many search engines around the Internet looking for information. I was amazed on how many sites on the Internet there was on the Barn Owl. Many of the sites where useful others were not. I also used a CD Rom encyclopedia which supplied me with more facts on the Barn Owl.

Description of Plant or Animal

&nbspThe total length of the Barn Owl is 410 millimeters or 41 centimeters. The wing span stretches out to 338 millimeters long and its tail is 143.8 millimeters. It's culmen reaches 22.3 millimeters and the tarsus (legs) are 75.4 millimeters. The Barn Owls face resembles a heart shape unlike the common circular one. The Barn Owl is fairly large and the Barn Owl has no ear tufts. The under-parts of the Barn Owl are a golden-brown possibly with some gray. The breast and belly varies from white to buff with black speckles here and there.

Habitat Requirements

&nbspOne reason for endangerment is iyd habitat is being taken away, as I had listed earlier. Pollution is definitely a problem threatening its endangerment. Farmers use pesticides that gets in the Barn Owl's food chain and weakens the females eggs, and then they never have a chance to hatch. 50 years of changing farms and technology has changed the Barn Owl's life. For example, over the last 50 years America's economy has grown and more industries have taken over the Barn Owl's habitat causing its declining numbers. Guns have been improved making it easier on the hunters and extremely hard on the Barn Owl. Another threat is pesticide production has grown over fifty years.

Adaptations

&nbspThe Barn Owl can eat small mammals such as rats in the open fields. Shrews are the main prey of the Barn Owl, because they squeak and shrill making them easy prey. Barn Owls also feed on insects, birds, amphibians, fish, and crustaceans. Barn Owls live in meadows, saltmarshes, and pastures. Water supply is found in those areas. Barn owls can nest in tree cavities. Oddly, they also nest in church steeples. Each owl individually has approximately 1.6 kilometers to 5.6 kilometers space.

Reasons for Endangerment

The Barn Owl can eat small mammals such as rats in the open fields. Shrews also are a main prey of the Barn Owl, because they squeak and shrill making them easy prey. Barn Owls also feed on insects, birds, amphibians, fish, and crustaceans. Barn Owls live in meadows, saltmarshes, and pastures. Water supply is found in those areas. Barn owls can nest in tree cavities. Oddly, they also nest in church steeples. Each owl individually has approximately 1.6 kilometers to 5.6 kilometers space.

Restoration Actions

&nbspSince the Barn Owl has been an endangered species, people have been trying save the it. If its habitat is destroyed, some scientists capture the owl and take care of it Since there is no authentic habitat, people also construct artificial ones and are continuing to make these type of habitats for it.

What Was Learned

&nbspI learned how the Common Barn Owl is nearing extinction, the basic information, and the interesting facts about the Barn Owl such as it does not hoot and it moves its head back and forth. I also learned one problem is that farmers plow their land where the Barn Owl's prey lives.

Conclusions From Research

&nbspResearch skills from this paper will help me to write future reports. Writing this paper will give me confidence by knowing I can do my paper and turn it in on time. The experience I get from writing this report also is knowing how to write reports adequately. The information I got from the Barn Owl will help if I ever come across owls later on in school. That is my report on the Barn Owl.

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Last updated on March 12, 1997