Barn Owls Thriving on Protected Land in Alleghany County

Have you ever been driving along a country road at night and witnessed an almost spookily silent, light colored bird fly low over your windshield? Or perhaps been camping and heard an eerie shrieking cry from the forest? You may have been in the presence of a barn owl, also known as a ghost owl or a golden owl. Instantly recognizable by their flat white heart-shaped faces, barn owls are beautiful, mysterious nocturnal hunters, and are one of six species of owl native to North Carolina. 

This brood of six barn owls lives in an abandoned grain silo on a Blue Ridge Conservancy easement in Alleghany County, and are almost grown enough to leave their shadowy home. According to farmer and landowner Jay Coman, this is one of several broods of owls that have been born and raised on his land; he estimates he’s seen over 40 owlets between his two silos in recent years. Barn owls mate for life and often return to the same area to raise their young, and these silos are perfect for cavity nests: dark, quiet, and safe. 

A brood of six owlets nests in a grain silo. Barn owls utilize a variety of nesting locations, as long as they are near open or semi-open areas for hunting.

Despite being the most widespread owl in the United States, habitat loss is a growing threat to barn owls. Though adept at finding places to live near human developments, barn owls require a minimum of 70 acres of agricultural land to hunt for various small mammals including rats, mice, voles, and shrews. The continued survival of this species depends on the conservation of agricultural land and preservation of farm structures, and on human understanding of how to coexist with barn owls.

If you see an active nest or other evidence of barn owl presence on your property, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission biologists would like to install nest boxes to monitor owl nest success and other life habits. Please contact allison.medford@ncwildlife.org; (910) 975-9393 for more information.