2020 Christmasville Limited Edition -10x12 Oil on Walnut
 
Found on all continents, except Antarctica, the barn owl is the most widely distributed owl in the world.  His heart shaped face is easily recognized.  He is 13-16" tall with a wing span of 39-41 inches.  The female is larger than the male and has darker and more spotted feathers.  With excellent vision and hearing in the  dark, like many other owls, this owl hunts at night.  He can catch a mouse in complete darkness and eats it whole - skin, bones and all. Twice  a day, he coughs up pellets instead of passing all this material through his digestive tract - a considerate trait for scientists who are studying these owls and the ecosystems they live in.  In many countries, he is used as "rodenticide" when nest boxes are built for pest control - and it is less costly than pesticides.