Breeding

The life cycle of a barn owl

Barn owls pair up
They spend a lot
together in the
of time together.
late winter.

They are The male gathers

affectionate to each food for his mate
other, preening and as she builds a
rubbing cheeks! nest.
Photograph by Joel Bauchet - Barn Owl Trust

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Nesting Hatching
Barn owl mothers lay their
eggs in spring.
The average number of
The male continues to hunt eggs laid by barn owls is
for food and protects the between five and six.
nest.
The eggs usually hatch in
The mother owl will start the order they were laid.
incubating the eggs from
the time the first one is The mother will brood the
laid. Photograph by Kevin Keatley- Barn Owl Trust
hatchlings until the oldest Photograph by Inigo Fajardo- Barn Owl Trust
is three weeks old.
More eggs are laid over the
next few days.
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Little owlets The owlets are very active

Growing up
After about five weeks and will ‘play’ in the nest
the owlets have their like kittens.
characteristic heart-
From three weeks old they
shaped face. are increasingly mobile and
by five weeks they run,
Their white feathers
jump, pounce, hiss, click
are soft and fluffy. their tongues, and move
their heads in the most
When they are hungry comical manner from side
Photograph by Stewart Dawber- Barn Owl Trust they call endlessly for to side, round and round, Photograph by Joel Bauchet - Barn Owl Trust

food. even turning their heads

upside down!
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1
 Learning to fly
Little owls will come
to the edge of the
nest to wait for food.
By nine weeks they
have already made
their first flights and
Photograph by Kevin Keatley - Barn Owl Trust by ten weeks they
can fly quite well.
Learning to
Once they are outside, the
little owlets’ ‘play- hunt
hunting’ continues:
pouncing on anything that
moves, especially leaves
and each other.
The earliest recorded prey
capture was at 72 days old
and by the owlets’ 12th
week they are getting
much less food from the Photograph by Nick Sampford - Barn Owl Trust

adults.
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Leaving the nest Adult owls

Owlets normally start to leave the nest at
11-12 weeks old and by 14 weeks almost all Now that the owls
owlets have left their parents’ home range. are grown up they
can start their own
There is some evidence that baby owls who families and the life
try to stay are chased away by the adults cycle can start
(particularly by the female) but records again.
also exist of young being allowed to stay in
the nest for several months.
Photograph by Kevin Keatley –
Barn Owl Trust

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Barn owl Q & A

Life cycle summary
1. When do barn owls lay their eggs? Spring
Courtship (breeding) - can start in February but is mainly
in March. 2. What is the average number of eggs laid by barn
Egg laying - first half of April. owls? Between five and six
Incubation (sitting on the eggs) - second half of April and 3. What kind of things can barn owls do by five weeks
first half of May.
Hatching - second half of May.
old? Name three. Run, jump, pounce, hiss,
Young growing in nest - June and first half of July. click tongues, move heads
Fledging (flying) - second half of July. 4. How old are the owls when they make their first
Young keep returning to the nest - first half of August.
flight? Nine weeks
Dispersal (leaving home) - second half of August to end of
November. 5. When do owlets leave their nest? 11–12 weeks
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