Earth Almanac: September/October 2007

Winged Hobgoblins

As summer wanes, barn owls in colder parts of their range move toward warmer latitudes. You may encounter these medium-size raptors most anywhere as they flutter mothlike over low, open country, backlit by moon and stars, white breasts and underwings flickering in the glow of streetlights. Barn owls, among the most widespread of all land birds, occur on every continent save Antarctica. In North America they are the sole representatives of the Tytonidae family. Unlike the young of our other owls (Strigidae), which compete viciously and sometimes kill one another, juvenile barn owls may help feed younger siblings. Barn owls also differ from the Strigidae in that their nesting is triggered more by availability of prey than time of year. Corner a barn owl, and it will hiss, bob, clack its beak, screech, lunge, and eject vile-smelling feces. From such behavior, along with its otherworldy appearance, the species has acquired such names as “ghost owl,” “death owl,” and “hobgoblin owl.” For American Indians, no portent of doom was more horrifying than having a barn owl perch on one’s tepee. When this happened the owner would sometimes fulfill the omen by pining away and dying.