Barn owl: Difference between revisions

The members of this family possess thick and soft feathers covering their body. The feathers on the back of the ''[[tyto alba]]'' are generally  colored brown and gray with a white or light brown frontal side.<ref name=Sky-hunters.org/> The members of genus ''phodilus'' closely resemble those in ''tyto'', with several exceptions. Oriental bay owls ''(p. badius)'' generally have more brown external feathers and have darker markings stretching vertically along their face. They also tend to be smaller than owls of ''tyto'' with smaller, and more rounded wings.<ref name= Owls.org > [http://www.owls.org/Species/phodilus/bay_owl.htm Oriental Bay Owl Phodilus badius] '’Owls.org''. Web. Updated February 2005. Author Unknown.</ref> Females of both genera are frequently a darker color than the males. Unlike many other owls, the owls of ''tytonidae'' have solid black eyes. Because of their large wings, members of ''tytonidae'' can fly and glide smoothly and silently. This capability greatly assists these birds in hunting.<ref name=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/>

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'' usually lays 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's main task is to incubate and warm the chicks, while the male primarily hunts and provides food for the young.<ref name=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/> 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 mice or other small animals per night.<ref name=Sky-hunters.org/> When it reaches the age of two months old, the owl is old enough to hunt for itself.<ref name=www.nhptv.org/>