Laura Erickson's For the Birds

In North America, this is the sole member of the family Tytonidae. Rare except in the southern states, it’s widespread throughout the rest of the world, found just about everywhere except polar and desert regions, Asia north of the Himalayas, most of Indonesia and some Pacific islands. Barn Owls were introduced on the Hawaiian Islands. Increasing numbers of American farmers are setting out nest boxes to encourage them; Barn Owls provide matchless and safe rodent control.

These owls aren’t well designed for frigid temperatures or deep snow. The only one I’ve ever seen in Minnesota, in the Sax-Zim Bog in January 2020, died a few days after it was first discovered. My lifer, seen on the grounds of the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago in December 1978, died a few days after it was first found, too.