The Barn Owl (Tyto alba) is an owl in the barn owl family Tytonidae. Barn Owls occur worldwide, on every continent except Antarctica. Sometimes they are called Monkey-Faced Owls because of their appearance. They are also called Ghost Owls due to their eerie, silent flight. Barn Owls feed mostly on rodents. These include rats, mice, gophers, shrews, moles, and voles. The Barn Owl flies silently. Its ears are placed asymmetrically for maximum hearing, so the owls do not require sight to hunt. They can target and dive down to sink their talons through snow, grass or brush and seize rodents with deadly accuracy. Compared to other owls of similar size, the Barn Owl has a much higher metabolic rate, requiring relatively more food.

Photoworkshop at the residence of Birds @ Work in Berkel en Rodenrijs, the Netherlands. The workshop was given by photographer Roberto Bogers.

Canon Eos 350D 75-300mm F7.1 1/400 sec - 1/640 sec - 1/500 sec ISO 100