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Barn Owl


Barn Owl
Photo Information
Copyright: Mark Oxley (MojoUK) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 65 W: 7 N: 328] (1479)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-04-29
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon 20D, Canon EF 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6L IS USM
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/200 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2006-05-01 17:22
Viewed: 4305
Favorites: 2 [view]
Points: 24
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Taken at the Hawk Conservancy near Andover, UK. PP was a crop and a little level adjustment.

Barn Owl - Tyto alba

The barn owl is one of the world’s most widespread birds. It can be found throughout Africa, India, the Far East, Australia, USA, the Caribbean, South America and Europe, where Britain is the northern most tip of its range. Currently the UK population is in decline due to loss of habitat and prey species.

Barn owls live in open country with some trees for cover and nesting sites. They usually become active at dusk, when they can be seen flying low over the ground in a slow, wavering flight with occasional short glides.

The barn owl is an expert hunter with excellent vision and hearing that enables it to pinpoint its prey in near total darkness. It flies low, slowly and silently and swoops to the ground at he last moment to grasp its prey with its sharp claws. Small rodents make up most of its diet. They are swallowed whole and later any indigestible parts are regurgitated in the form of pellets.

Barn owls do not ‘hoot’ - but both young and adults make snoring and shrieking noises when at the nest.

Size: 30 - 40 cm. The female, as with most birds of prey, is larger than the male.

Description: Fine golden-buff upper-parts emblazoned with oval, patches of white, silver and black. Under parts are pure white. White facial disc bordered by a fine black heart-shaped ring.

Habitat: Open country, farmland with hedges and rough ground.

Young: 4 - 6 white eggs in April / May. Incubated by the female which is fed on the nest by the male. Eggs hatch after 28 days. Long fledging period, 64 - 86 days.

Nest: Unlined nest of floor debris in barns, ruins, haystacks, hollow trees or holes in a cliff.

Diet: Rats, mice, voles, shrews etc and occasionally fish and frogs.

Population: Pre-breeding season estimated to be 5,000 pairs in the wild, over 30,000 in captivity.
Fisher, Dando, lovenature, coasties, aido has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Fisher Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1540 W: 309 N: 2234] (8915)
  • [2006-05-01 17:23]

Hi Mark,

Excellent shot and well done on the composition. Beautiful work.

Mike

  • Great 
  • Dando Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor [C: 637 W: 32 N: 792] (3084)
  • [2006-05-01 17:28]

Hi Mark, excellent shot. Very well exposed with great colours and good control over the DOF. POV is good and the subject is well composed within the frame. TFS.
Dean.

A beautiful and vivid shot. Nice composition, I just love the detail, colours and textures of his feathers. Janice/Canada

  • Great 
  • hekcik Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 291 W: 15 N: 305] (1827)
  • [2006-05-01 18:46]

Hi Mark,

Excellent shot. Well done composition.
Good job!

TFS :-)
Norbert

  • Great 
  • gari Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 37 W: 0 N: 11] (149)
  • [2006-05-01 20:10]

Hola Mark.Muy buena imagen.Su nitidez y el contraste con el fondo,merecen mi felicitacion.

  • Great 
  • jossim Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1538 W: 5 N: 2240] (12636)
  • [2006-05-01 21:47]

Bonjour Mark!


Félicitations pour cette excellente présentation. La pose de l'oiseau est parfaite et le bg fait bien ressortir les couleurs de l'oiseau. Bravo pour la qualité d'image et la beautée du spécimen.

Merci pour l'envoie.


joseph.

Excellent picture. Very good composition.

Chris

Hi Mark

Wonderful shot. Lovely depth of colour. Crisp, clear and sharp. Good light, POV and composition. Well done! :-)

Hi Mark, this is truly a great shot, perfect light, focus and composition!!!

  • Great 
  • aido Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 1044 W: 156 N: 1218] (4046)
  • [2006-05-02 6:50]

Hi Mark,
Lovely shot, really nice composition and framing. Perfect colours too. I posted one of my Runner Duck pictures and it got removed, too domesticated apparently.
Cheers,
Adrian

Excellent shot with a beautiful DOF and the green background, perfect for this wonderful model, Mark !

Hi Mark,

Excellent shot. Well done.

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