Owls of Ohio - Ohio Department of Natural Resources

y people placing nest boxes in barns, thus providingsuitable nest sites where none were present before.Most nesting takes place from March through May,although if food is plentiful barn owls may attempt tonest at any time of the year. The average clutch size is fiveeggs, although more might be produced under especiallyfavorable circumstances.Vo c aliz ati o n s barn owlThis species definitely does not make hooting soundsthat many people associate with owls. Rather, barn owlstypically deliver a drawn-out shriek, with the female’s callsupposedly a bit less harsh and quieter than the male’s.They also utter defensive hisses, and on occasion a varietyof other twittering or snoring sounds.Known barn owl nest site,Jackson CountyPhoto by: ODNR Division of Wildlife / Jim McCormacC O M M O N O W L S O F O H I O 15I nter e s ting Fac t s barn owl Barn owls can be long-lived. The record for a wild birdis 34 years of age. However, the average life span is justunder two years. Some barn owls are polygynous, or have more thanone mate at a time. While it is mostly males whoengage in this practice, some females are also knownto mate with more than one male. Barn Owls are undoubtedly responsible for manyreports of “haunted houses.” Their tendency to nestin old structures, including the attics of abandonedhouses, coupled with their ghostly white plumageand hissing screams, have no doubt spooked manyan uninitiated person.Photo by: Ohio Department of Natural Resources / Al Staffan