Jasper (Barn Owl)
Tyto
alba
Barn owls are the most common owl
found in the Central Valley. They stand
about 15 to 20 inches tall. They have
white, heart-shaped faces and no ear tufts.
The underside of their wings are pure white
causing them to be misidentified as snowy owls.
Their bodies are pale yellow orange spotted with dark gray, brown, and
white. They are a true tapestry of
colors. They make clicking sounds and a
shrill screech at night. They appear
ghostlike flying overheads silently with their noiseless flight feathers. They have excellent binocular vision in part
because their eyes are positioned in the front of the head. Their vision at night is 100 times more
sensitive than humans and their hearing is equally sensitive. The feathery facial disks help channel sound
to their large eardrums. They are
capable of turning their head 270 degrees.
Jasper was only a few months old when she arrived. Her legs were splayed pointing almost
sideways rather than forward. In young
birds, this condition can be easily remedied by taping the legs to point
forward and allowing the bones to grow correctly (only a week or two in growing
nestlings). Jasper did improve but she
was already too old to make a full recovery.
She has become a favorite among our educational birds because of her
easy-going nature; however, she is fierce about protecting her mew at Critter
Creek.