Tyto alba
English: Barn Owl, Screech owl, White owl, Ghost owl.
Kingdom: Animalia.
Phylum: Chordata.
Class: Aves.
Order: Strigiformes.
Family: Tytonidae.
Zoology
Tyto alba means white owl. Barn owl is the most widespread of all species. They are found in many myths and legends. They are symbols of magic, wisdom, inner vision, as well as messenger of death, darkness and destruction or good fortune. Man fears the darkness as he cannot see what is hidden. Barn owl is known as screech owl, referring to the piercing calls of these birds. The Barn owl is a generally nocturnal bird, but can be seen during the day. It has an effortless wavering flight as it quarters, pastures or similar hunting grounds. It flies silently. It hunts flying low and slowly over an area of open ground hovering over spots that conceal potential prey. It feeds primarily on small vertebrates, particularly rodents. It has a much higher metabolic rate compared to other owls of similar size.
The Barn owl‘s eyes are large and fixed in the skull, they do not move, but this is compensated by an extraordinary ability to turn the head through 270° and to move it widely within a plane. The Barn owl has acute hearing, with ears placed asymmetrically for improved detection of sound position and distance, and it does not require sight to hunt.
Compare.
Stram., lyc., sil., cal-c., luna, plac., red.