barn owl
nounDefinition of barn owl
: a widely distributed owl (Tyto alba) that has plumage mottled buff brown and gray above and chiefly white below, frequents barns and other buildings, and preys especially on rodents
Examples of barn owl in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Next Snyder brought out a screeching female barn owl, its flat white face appearing a little sleepy in the broad daylight. — Washington Post, "Tourists experience the ancient sport of falconry," 11 June 2018 But in a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience on Monday, scientists tested the ability of barn owls to find a moving target among various shifting backgrounds, a visual processing task earlier tested only in primates. — Joanna Klein, New York Times, "Owls See the World Much Like We Do," 3 July 2018 In her care was a kestrel, peregrine falcon, barn owl, bald and golden eagle. — Denise Coffey, Courant Community, "Connecticut Audubon Hosts Migration Madness Weekend," 29 May 2018 Like politicians interrupting each other or reporters jockeying to get their question answered, barn owl chicks may try to outdo each other by chirping louder or more quickly in an effort to attract favor from their mothers during feeding. — Joshua Rapp Learn, Smithsonian, "Some Animals Take Turns While Talking, Just Like Humans. Why?," 20 June 2018 Volunteer Jeanne Wadsworth brought out Tyton, a barn owl from Utah. — Denise Coffey, Courant Community, "Horizon Wings Shares Majesty Of Area Raptors," 29 May 2018 According to a recent article in American Fruit Grower, a family of barn owls will scarf down an amazing several thousand rodents during a nesting season, with the young eating two to four rodents a night! — Leah Zerbe, Good Housekeeping, "How To Attract Owls To Your Backyard," 14 Aug. 2015 Students get to don thick leather gloves and let a Harris’ hawk, red tail hawk or barn owl land on their fists. — Vincent Crampton, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Explore Florida's Suwannee County: Experience an ancient hunting art at International Falconry Academy," 6 May 2018 The happy couple was just about to exchange vows when the barn owl — which had been commissioned specifically to fly down the aisle and deliver the rings to the best man — took off from its perch near the back of the room. — Michael Bartiromo, Fox News, "Owl gets loose at wedding, leaves best man 'terrified'," 27 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'barn owl.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on barn owl
What made you want to look up barn owl? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Words from Greek and Roman Mythology Quiz
-
- Boreal comes from the name of the ancient Greek god of which wind?
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share barn owl
Resources for barn owl