Barn owl: Difference between revisions

The tytonid life cycle, like all birds, begins as an egg. A typical clutch (the number of eggs laid) for the tyto alba may contain between one and seven eggs, but the phodilus badius may lay between three and five eggs.<ref name=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/><ref name= Owls.org/> Thirty-two to thirty-four days after being laid, the new barn owl hatches from its egg.<ref name=www.nhptv.org>. [http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/barnowl.htm Barn Owl - Tyto alba] ''www.nhptv.org''. Web. Accessed march 23, 2014. Author Unknown.</ref> Once hatched, a tytonid chick will weigh approximately 20 grams <ref name=Sky-hunters.org/> Usually, both parents assist in caring for the young. The female mostly incubates and warms the chicks while the male primarily hunts and provides food for the young.<ref name=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/>When it reaches the age of two months old, the owl is old enough to hunt for itself.<ref name=www.nhptv.org/>

The Members of tytonidae can reproduce in their first year of life. When the breeding cycle begins, the male begins courting for a mate. When he finds a mate, the male will provide the female with extra food. The two mates often engage in courtship behaviors such as preening each other. <ref name=barnowltrust.org>. [http://www.barnowltrust.org.uk/ Spring - nesting] ''barnowltrust.orgb''. Web. Accessed March 23, 2014. Author Unknown</ref> By the time the chicks reach about five weeks old, they will typically weigh as much as an adult. In order to provide enough food for the young, the parents must capture as many as seventy-four small animals such as mice per night.<ref name=Sky-hunters.org/>