Class: Birds Subclass: New palate Squad: owls Family: barn owls Genus: barn owls View: Lesser barn owl Latin name Tyto multipunctata Mathews, 1912
ITIS
NCBI

Appearance

The little black barn owl inhabits dense tropical forests on the plains of Northeast Australia: northeast Queensland (Cooktown - Townsville line, around Lake Ichem). Some researchers include this species in Tyto tenebricosa.

The lesser barn owl is noticeably smaller in size than the southern black barn owl, which lives in the forests of northern Queensland. Wet endemic rainforest this area of ​​Australia. Both types of barn owls are often called silver, meaning silver white color the bottom of the bird. The barn owl is lighter in color of the upper body, it is often grayish-brown with a large number of light silver-white speckles on the head and wings; there are also black birds, but also very colorful. The facial disc is large - silvery white around the eyes. Around the disk there is a bright border of short dark feathers. The underside of the body is silvery white with many dark spots, which are especially numerous on the chest, which makes the chest look dark gray. The tail is very short. The eyes are large, the iris is black. The beak is light gray, the legs are light gray, the fingers are adapted for capturing prey: two are directed forward, two are backward, the claws are black. Slight sexual dimorphism in size: the female is slightly larger (male 33 cm, female 37 cm). On average, the body length of small barn owls ranges from 31-38 cm.

Lifestyle

Barn owls lead a secretive life, but their location can be determined by the cry, which eyewitnesses identify as "bomb whistle". This is a loud trill-whistling, turning into a loud scream, heard at a great distance. When threatening, the barn owl clicks its tongue, making clacking sounds to irritate its opponent.

The black barn owl is a hollow nester. For nesting, it chooses large hollows of a living tree, sometimes in a fork of large knots, giving preference to trees called rose gum. In other cases, it occupies natural depressions between the roots of trees and in natural niches along the slopes of the banks. Male and female adhere to each other for a long time, but outside the nesting season they live alone and spend daytime in different places. The female lays two eggs and incubates them for 42 days. The male brings prey to the female in the nest several times a night. Number of breeding pairs per tropical forests in north Queensland is estimated at 2,000 pairs. Barn owls inhabit the area from the mountains south of Cooktown to the north of this area. For them, the optimal territory is 50 hectares.

When hunting, barn owls are able to navigate dense rainforest at night, locating and attacking their prey. They feed on terrestrial animals: rats, other rodents, bandicoots, lizards, frogs and others. small mammals. Sometimes they prey on arboreal animals, birds and possums. Because barn owls are at the start the food chain, the size of their livestock depends on the food supply. Another deterrent is human anxiety. These are territorial birds that do not move far from their possessions.

Barn owls have a long lifespan and low breeding rates, so the population is never over-populated. The breeding season is from January to August. Despite the narrow habitat, the population of this species is considered normal and has remained stable for many years. In this it differs from the black owl, whose numbers, although recognized as common, are now steadily declining as a result of deforestation.

Barn owls, like most nocturnal birds, have good night vision, but when hunting, they rely more on their sensitive hearing, which, as established by experiment, is four times the hearing capabilities of other animals. This allows them to hunt in absolute darkness. This unique ability is achieved by a special structure of the ears, in which both ears are located asymmetrically on different levels. Thanks to this, the sound signal reaches the right and left ears with some time difference, which allows the owl to more accurately locate a potential victim. In addition, the ear hole, located above, is directed downward and is more sensitive to sounds that come from below. Short feathers framing the facial disc direct sounds to the ears. Having fluffed these feathers, the barn owl directs them in such a way that the sound comes directly to the ear openings.

During the hunt, the barn owl attacks prey, wrapping its claws around it in such a way that the claws cling to the victim from four sides. Owls swallow their prey whole with feathers, fur and claws, and then once or twice a day they burp undigested remnants in the form of dense balls - pellets.

A lot of harm to barn owls is caused by the use of pesticides in agriculture, they are most vulnerable to DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane). Barn owl populations cause great damage road traffic because owls tend to hunt along roadsides. Many medium and large birds, including barn owls, die on power lines.

The barn owl is a rather unusual animal among its kind. In addition, this owl belongs to one of the most ancient species of owls.

According to the scientific classification, the species of barn owl comes from the barn owl family and the genus barn owl. Thanks to her external features and lifestyle, this owl is also called the night owl, ghost owl. The main features that distinguish the barn owl from relatives are the shape of the head and the unusual, characteristic only this species voice, which was the reason for another nickname - the screeching owl. Thus, it can be assumed that in old times this owl was credited with certain magical properties and mystical character, also due to her unusual expressive eyes. The beauty of this bird is undeniable, so it is not surprising that many - both amateurs and professionals - simply dream of capturing a beautiful owl in a photo.





Camouflage coloration of barn owl.

Appearance

The barn owl differs from other owls in the shape of the facial disc, which resembles a heart and a white mask at the same time. Due to the special expression of this mask, the barn owl is also called the "monkey-faced owl".

Feather color is mostly white with reddish tinges. The thickness of the plumage allows these owls to live in cold areas. The body size of an owl is about 40 centimeters, the wingspan is almost a meter. The weight of the barn owl ranges from 200 to 700 grams.

The upper part of the owl's body is darker, there is much more of a reddish hue here, and white or yellowish color prevails below. The facial disc is white in color and noticeably flattened in shape. Borders the "face" of an owl with a circle of feathers of an ocher shade. The wings are predominantly white, but may also have a dark streaked pattern. The barn owl's eyes are quite large, bright and very expressive. The iris is mostly black or dark in color. The body of the barn owl is elongated and slender with long paws covered with dense plumage. Her tail is very short. The beak is yellow-white in color. In general, we can say that the color of the lower part of the body depends mainly on its habitat. Outwardly, females differ little from males, but the former are slightly darker. Chicks also almost do not differ from adults, with the exception of a more variegated color. Thus, barn owl has a rather bright, memorable appearance, as can be seen by looking at the photo of the barn owl.


Beautiful barn owl.


Barn owl: front view of an owl.
Beautiful photo barn owls.
Barn owl on the hunt.

area

Barn owl is distributed on almost all continents. The only place on the planet where you cannot see it is Antarctica. For our country, the barn owl is a rarity, and you can meet this owl only in the Kaliningrad region. IN neighboring countries and in the Baltics the barn owl is also quite rare. It does not live in the mountains, as well as in the northern regions. Also, the bird does not tolerate extreme heat, and therefore cannot live in deserts. Thanks to man, the owl has become artificially distributed on the islands of New Zealand, the Seychelles and Hawaii. Barn owls prefer to equip their dwelling in open spaces, in swamps and in grassy areas.


Barn owl is looking for prey.
Barn owl soars in the air.
Photo of barn owl.
Barn owl in flight.
Barn owl in flight.
Barn owl among wildflowers.
Barn owl in flight.

reproduction

Basically, barn owls have one pair during their life, less often several. Egg laying occurs once or twice a year. The male chooses the location for the nest. A nest is not built separately, but the most suitable recess in a tree or another dark place is selected. During that period, while the female incubates offspring, the male takes care of her food. In time, this lasts approximately one month. Usually, the number of incubated eggs is from 4 to 7 units. Young owls begin an independent life two months after birth.


What is the life expectancy?

In the wild, barn owls can live a maximum of 18 years, while the average is extremely small - only two years.

barn owl bird belongs directly to the barn owl family and is a predator, although its size is quite small. The bird has many names that have been assigned to it in various legends and folk art, for example: a screeching or ghostly owl, a night owl, a “bird with a monkey face” and others.

Indeed, just look at barn owl photo in order to understand that in the image of this feathered one there is a certain resemblance to a primate.

Barn owl features and habitat

Scientists ornithologists could not rank barn owls in any particular group, so they decided to “assign” them to their own category. barn owl is the most common species, and is found today on virtually all continents except Antarctica.

Despite the fact that the barn owl is a predator, and the most nocturnal of all owls, its dimensions are very modest: body length ranges from twenty-five to fifty centimeters, and weight - from two hundred to eight hundred grams.



Barn owl females are larger than males by about ten percent. The plumage of birds is fluffy and soft. The upper part of the body and head are usually dark gray or brown in color, while the entire surface of the body is strewn with speckles.

The belly, muzzle and chest are white, often with spots. The body of the barn owl is slender, with black claws on dark pink fingers. The eyes of these birds are extremely expressive, with a beautiful iris of a fancy color.

barn owl today, laziness has settled virtually over the entire surface the globe except for Antarctica and some regions and countries with cold climates such as North America and Canada.

Since the barn owl's body is not predisposed to the accumulation of fat reserves, low temperature absolutely not suitable for these. On the territory of Russia, barn owls can only be found in the region of the Kaliningrad region.

Mountain areas with great height above sea level and the arid deserts of Africa are also not satisfied with barn owls. In the twentieth century, the bird was artificially imported to the Canary, Hawaiian and Seychelles, so now there are many of its varieties.

Barn owls live in a huge variety natural conditions and geographical landscapes, however, the bird prefers to settle on open plains with a sparse forest and with an abundance of swamps and reservoirs nearby.

Ravines, wastelands and meadows are also favorite habitats for barn owls. Often they are located near human habitations and farmlands, since food and, in particular, small rodents can always be found here.

Barn owl mask or australian barn owl distributed not only in Australia, but also in New South Wales, Tasmania and some other territories.

Pictured is a masked barn owl


Australian barn owls differ from other representatives of their species not only in their colorful appearance, but also in size: female barn owls are considered the largest of all other species.

Barn owl- at the current time it is considered the least studied species, since its activity occurs in the dead of night and is hidden from human observation. Settles mainly among eucalyptus forests, edges and meadows of New Guinea and the eastern part of the Australian continent.

Pictured is a black barn owl


The nature and lifestyle of the barn owl bird

The barn owl received the nickname "ghostly owl" for its ability to abruptly appear right in the face of an unsuspecting person, without making the slightest sound.

It is believed that the Russian-language name "barn owl", in turn, the bird earned for its own slightly hoarse voice, which is able to frighten a random traveler lost in the forest.

In addition to the ability to move silently through the air, the barn owl has a very developed vision and auditory receptors that allow her to hunt in the middle of the night, perfectly navigating in pitch darkness.

During the day, the barn owl sits in a hollow, on the roof or in another reliable shelter. barn owl - owl, which prefers a solitary lifestyle, however, in those places where there is an abundance of food, small groups and clusters of birds can be observed.



The barn owl is often busy flying over its own territory, during which it changes altitude many times. Noticing an unwanted guest, the owl begins to make threatening movements in order to intimidate the opponent.

Flapping its wings, the barn owl can attack the enemy both with the help of its strong paws and by using its beak, frighteningly clicking it during the attack.

It is not uncommon for barn owls to build their nests in close proximity to humans: in the attics of residential buildings, in sheds or outbuildings. In conditions wildlife this owl can easily take someone else's nest or hole.

barn owl nutrition

Barn owl is a bird of prey that hunts mainly late at night. Going hunting, she flies quite low, dropping above the ground, looking out for her potential prey.

The main food in the diet of barn owls are various small rodents: hamsters, rats, field mice, and many others.

The prey of these birds varies depending on the region of habitat, and birds, even predatory ones, frogs, reptiles and some varieties of invertebrates get into the food of owls.

barn owl- Not the best option as a pet, because firstly, the body of owls is designed in such a way that they need to eat at least three live rodents per day, so if you decide buy barn owl, then be sure to take this fact into account.

Secondly, the barn owl is a nocturnal bird, so as a pet it is suitable only for people who sleep during the day and stay awake at night.

Barn owl reproduction and lifespan

The breeding season for birds continues through the first two spring months. The place for the future nest is determined by the male, and it is in without fail should be carefully hidden from human eyes and all sorts of ill-wishers and enemies.

In the photo barn owl chicks


Usually birds arrange their nests at a respectful height from the ground. For one laying, the female brings from four to seven eggs, of which the first chicks appear in a month. After a month and a half, the offspring grows stronger and leaves the nest for independent living.

About three-quarters of all young offspring die in the first year of life, the rest live to about eleven years. There are cases when, in captivity, barn owls reached a respectable age of several decades.

Barn owl is well known to residents Western European countries However, little is known about it in Russia. This is the most ancient branch of the owl order. Its Latin name sounds like Tyto alba, and English - Barn owl. The people called her a night owl, a ghostly and screeching owl. Her hallmarks is a peculiar voice and head shape. Who is this barn owl, and what kind of life does she lead? Let's talk in more detail in this article about one of the most common owls in the world.

Barn owl: description

The name of this one, apparently, came from the peculiarity of her voice, reminiscent of a kind of snoring or vulture. It differs from other representatives of owls in the shape of the facial disc in the form of a heart, while it seems that it is wearing white mask. The small bird has a light color and a peculiar face. It is about the same size as a long-eared owl or jackdaw. It reaches 33-39 cm in length, its body weight is 300-355 g, and its wingspan is about 90 cm. By the way, its weight can vary widely and depends individually on a particular individual. It can be either 180 g or 700 g.

In the upper part, its color has acquired a sandy (red) color with white and dark speckles. The barn owl is white in the lower part (rarely yellow), in addition, dark blotches are present in the plumage. The facial disc is light and has a flattened appearance, it also received an ocher border, under the eyes there is a small area of ​​red feathers. Wings - fawn-white, with a golden-striated pattern. - dark brown or black. Her eyes are expressive and large. She has a slender physique, and she also has long paws, which have thick and fluffy plumage to the fingers. She has short tail. The beak is yellowish white. By the way, the color of the lower part depends on the habitat of the barn owl. For example, in North Africa, West and Southern Europe, in the Middle East it is white, but in the rest of Europe it is yellow-orange.

By gender, outwardly, they practically do not differ from each other. The females are slightly darker, but this is not very noticeable. Young chicks also do not differ from adults, sometimes they are more colorful.

As we have noticed, such a bird as a barn owl has a very memorable appearance, the photo clearly demonstrates this to us.

Habitat

There are 35 subspecies of the barn owl, which are distributed on all continents, excluding only Antarctica, and they are also found on the islands. Previously, it could be found in the Baltic States and other CIS countries: now it lives there in small numbers. On the territory of Russia, it is found only in the Kaliningrad region. In the European part, it is absent in the northern regions and mountain systems.

On the one hand, the barn owl is adapted to various geographical conditions, as it is distributed almost everywhere, and on the other hand, it does not have the ability to accumulate fat reserves in itself, therefore it does not tolerate a harsh climate. In the northern regions of the United States and most of Canada, in Northern Europe and practically throughout Russia for this reason it is not. The bird cannot also live in the African and Asian deserts.

There were cases when the barn owl was artificially populated by humans in areas where it had never been. Thus, she appeared in the Seychelles and Hawaiian Islands, in New Zealand. After the barn owl was settled in the Seychelles, the kestrel population began to decline, on which it fed.

Favorite places to stay

Barn owl almost always settles near human dwellings. Nests like in major cities, as well as in countryside. He likes to settle in attics, in hollows and wall niches. Prefers rooftops and abandoned buildings. The barn owl is most often found in open plains where there are few trees. These can be places such as woodlands, swamps, dense meadows, and the bird also lives along wastelands, reservoirs, ravines and highways.

It can often be found where agricultural farms and human habitations are located. Barn owl tries to avoid dense forests and high mountainous places. For this bird, the following conditions are necessary for distribution: the availability of food, the absence of cold winters and weak competition with other predators. Basically, they do not change their habitat, the exceptions are situations when the food supply in their habitat is depleted.

What does he eat?

Her favorite food is mouse-like rodents, she can also cope with pasyuki (large She can catch up to 15 mice per night. Rarely eats small birds, in particular sparrows, as well as large and amphibious insects. Rats can be used as food , voles, hamsters, shrews, opossums.They can also catch bats, frogs, reptiles and invertebrates. The owl grabs the victim right on the fly, clamps it with its tenacious claws and carries it to a place where it can safely feast on it.

The peculiarities of the location of the hearing aid allow the bird to capture all the sounds that the victim makes, which helps her a lot when hunting. Her ears have an asymmetrical arrangement: one of them is at the level of the nostrils, and the other is in the forehead.

Barn owl's characteristic voice

She makes a hoarse whistling noise. Barn owls defiantly flap their wings and click their beaks. By the way, this feature of them can involuntarily terrify people who decide to relax in the silence of the forest and meet with her. Many sounds made by this owl have been noted, but still the hoarse screeching trill that can be heard during its flight is still the predominant one. The call of a female barn owl is lower in tone.

By the way, she got her Russian for a low, rattling, hoarse cry that sounds like “heee”. They emit it more often than the usual owl hoot. Her peculiar hoarse voice resembles a hoarse cough.

nocturnal lifestyle

She flies out to hunt in the late twilight and is strictly nocturnal. As a rule, they live alone, but can be found in small groups in areas where game accumulates. Since barn owls lead at night, they sleep during the day. For sleep, they choose some kind of niche, natural or artificial - it can be a hole in the ground or an unused attic.

During the hunt, they change height - they either rise up, then descend again, flying around the possessions. They can also wait for the victim, hiding in ambush. Their wings are designed in such a way that their flight is as silent and soft as possible, in addition, they have excellent vision and hearing. By the way, in some regions barn owls hunt during the day, for example, in Britain, but at this time of day there is a danger for them in the form birds of prey such as seagulls.

The barn owl kills its prey with its claws, then steps on it with a long leg and tears it with its beak. It has a very mobile neck, thanks to which it can eat prey without bending over. During the meal, the feathers of the facial disc move, and it seems that the owls grimace.

reproduction

The barn owl is usually monogamous, but cases of polygamy are also not excluded. In a year there is one, less often two clutches. The start of the breeding season usually depends on climatic conditions habitat and food supply. In warmer regions and where there is plenty of food, they can breed at any time of the year. For example, in temperate zone Europe or North America it starts in March-June. If there is a re-laying, then the hatching of the chicks will take place in the period March-May and June-August.

The male himself chooses the place where the nest will be, and then begins to call the female. As such, the nest is not built; a closed and dark place is chosen for this. This may be a recess in an old stump, a tree hollow and other niches. The female is engaged in incubating the eggs, while the male brings her food. The conditional nest is located at a height of 2-20 meters above the ground, the clutch size is usually 4-7 eggs, but can be from 2 to 14. There are more of them, as a rule, during periods characterized by an abundance of food. The size of the eggs, which are white or cream in color, averages 30-35 mm.

During the breeding season, birds make various sounds. They scream shrillly and hoarsely, hoot and sniff, making a characteristic “heee” sound. The rest of the time, as a rule, owls are silent. The female incubates the eggs for about a month. Juveniles fly out of the nest on the 50-55th day of life.

By the way, a pair of owls remains together until the death of one of the partners. The female and male live close to each other, but one by one.

Behavior in times of danger

In a calm state, a sitting barn owl holds its body straight, and if the bird is worried, it takes a threatening pose - it spreads its paws, spreads its wings in a horizontal plane and clings to the ground. When she meets the violator of her territorial possessions, she actively flaps her wings, coming closer and closer to the enemy. Hissing loudly and snapping its beak. If this does not help, then she attacks the enemy, falling on his back and striking with her clawed paws.

Barn owl chicks

The hatched chicks are completely dependent on their parents, who take turns feeding them. At birth, they are covered with thick white down. In the event that it is very cold, the barn owl does not leave the nest at all and warms the chicks, which become completely independent after three months. Grown up chicks fly away to new places and find another territory for living and reproduction. A barn owl can have even 10 chicks at a time, if conditions allow, but in a hungry year, as a rule, no more than 4 eggs are expected.

It is noted that the behavior of their chicks is atypical for birds: they show altruism, refusing food in favor of those who are more hungry than they are. Compared to most other birds, in which the cubs literally tear food from each other in order to eat themselves, this fact is of great interest to such a bird as the barn owl. A photo of her chicks shows how they look when they are born.

Parents show concern even after their chicks fly out of the nest: they continue to care for them and feed them until they become completely independent, that is, they reach the age of three months.

people attitude

The barn owl has always been a symbol of wisdom among people, but at the same time they treated this bird with superstitious fear. Now superstitions are becoming a thing of the past, and a person is increasingly showing genuine interest in her. Barn owls instilled fear in people because of some of their features: a white face resembling a mask, frightening sounds, and also because of the habit of this bird to silently fly up and appear sharply in front of a person, for which people called it a ghostly owl.

The barn owl mainly feeds on rodents, thereby benefiting humans. People have long appreciated the help of these owls in the destruction of pests. So, in the 17th century, such a practice spread when special windows were made in houses, barns, mills and other buildings through which barn owls could penetrate and destroy rodents. Thus, the birds remained full, and benefits were brought to humans.

If they notice a number of people, they begin to behave very interestingly: they rise high, sway on their feet in different directions and at the same time depict various grimaces. If you get very close to her, then she, as a rule, flies away.

How long does a barn owl live?

IN vivo barn owls can live up to 18 years, but this is the maximum figure. In fact, it turns out that they basically live very little - average duration They have about 2 years of life. Cases have been recorded when the barn owl was able to live in natural conditions up to 17 years, in North America the bird in captivity died at the age of 11.5 years, but in England the record was broken - the bird lived in captivity for 22 years.

We talked about such interesting bird, like a barn owl, about what her habits are and how she is useful to humans. Unfortunately, due to changes in environment and the use of pesticides in various parts Europe, the number of barn owls is declining. It is also not uncommon for birds to die from collisions with cars on the roads. Currently, the barn owl is a bird that is listed in the Red Books of a number of countries. of Eastern Europe, where, for unknown reasons, in recent decades there has been a rapid decrease in its numbers.

  • Order: Striges, or Strigiformes = Owls, owl-shaped
  • Family: Tytonidae = barn owls

Species: Tyto tenebricosa = Black or ash barn owl

The Black or Ash Barn Owl (The Sooty Owl), an elusive and little-studied bird found in the southern Australian rainforests. Among barn owls, she has the largest eyes. Its habitat: coastal and mountainous regions of southeastern Australia from Dandenong (Melbourne area) to Conandale (north of Brisbane). There are reports of their meeting on Flinder Island in Bass Strait, and they are also found in Montene in the rainforests of New Guinea.

black owl bird medium size. The plumage has an ash-black color, and on the front disk there are very big eyes outlined in black circles. Against the background of ash-black plumage, there are small white spots on the head and large, but more rare white spots on the wings. The front disk is painted in gray or silvery colors, it is framed by a black border. In plumage there are transitions from ash-black to dark gray or slightly whitish colors. The plumage on the belly is always lighter than on the chest. The tail is very short. The beak of the ashy owl differs in color from the facial disc. Dark gray paws with large black claws. There is no sexual dimorphism, birds of both sexes are colored the same. However, the female is usually slightly larger than the males. Its length is 44-51 cm, weight 750-1000 gr, while the male has a length of 37-43 cm and a weight of 500-700 gr.

The black owl differs from the lesser ash owl in darker plumage and larger size, and white spots located on top are more rare. And where the little ashy owl has dark spots on a light background, the ashen owl has just light spots.

The voice of the ashen owl is a characteristic penetrating low cry, the duration of which is about two seconds. This sound is similar to the sound of a falling bomb, only without the final explosion, which is why such a cry is called “bomb whistle.” There are many other calls that are produced in connection with reproduction and mating season.

Ash owls live in the deepest ravines. They are little studied precisely because they are active mainly at night - they are the most nocturnal of all Australian owls. Their very large eyes provide excellent vision. Ash owls are strong and agile hunters, so quite often rather large representatives of forest fauna become their prey, which owls track down while sitting on a tree. In this they differ not only from the lesser ash owl, but also from other representatives of the barn owl family, which track prey in flight above the ground.

Opossums make up the majority of the ash owl's prey, but other mammals have also been recorded. There are no detailed descriptions of the hunting methods of these owls. It is only known that the male hunts only in the dead of night and in mating season, and during the period of incubation and feeding of chicks, and brings prey to the nest once.

Seasonality in reproduction is not expressed. Ash owl breeding can occur regardless of the time of year, although eggs are mainly laid between January and June, but there are cases of nesting in the spring, from August to September. During this period, the males become very noisy, they often make a “bomb whistle” call. A pair of owls make a nest in a large hollow of an old but living tree, and then lines and insulates it with soft bedding. The nest can be located on a tree at any height from 10 to 50 meters. Several cases of nesting of the ashy owl in caves are known, which, apparently, is due to the lack of suitable hollow trees. Females occupy the hollow a few weeks before the start of laying eggs, and leave it only at night for a very short time. If the nest is located in a cave, then the female does not leave it at all.

Ash owl females usually lay 1-2 rounded white eggs, 44-52 mm long and 36-41 mm wide. Hatching lasts about 42 days. The male feeds the female right in the nest. The chicks are first covered with gray down and fledge by about 3 months. The chick of a newly fledged ash owl depends on its parents for some time, and then leaves the nest forever.

The ash owl's habitat is deep, damp ravines in eucalyptus forests, usually with large, old, smooth-bore, fern-covered trees. Dappled owls are sedentary birds, they adhere to their own territorial boundaries. But they can also hunt in dry forests, but they need high humidity during the breeding season and for shelters.