Tickets & Memberships

Tickets & Memberships Day Tickets Memberships Educational Visits/ Group Tickets Experiences Zoo Map Customer login

Online Shop & Experiences

Online Shop Experiences Adoptions Memberships Merchandise Gift Vouchers

World of Animals

World of Animals Cats Large Mammals Small Mammals Primates Reptiles & Invertebrates World of Birds Farmyard Experiences Adoptions

Dinosaurs & Attractions

Dinosaurs World of Dinosaurs Dinosaurs at our Zoo Adopt a dinosaur Attractions Tumble Jungle Boulders beach Rex Express Train Safari Adventure Golf Play Areas Feeds, talks & shows National Speedway Museum

Conservation & Education

Conservation & Education Education Our charity at Hertfordshire Zoo The Big Cat Sanctuary, Our Sister Charity What We Do What You Can Do Donate Volunteer Conservation Partners Sustainability Heroes Grants

Need to Know

Need to Know... Accessibility & Additional Facilities FAQ's Finding us & Opening times Visiting Food Outlets at Hertfordshire Zoo Zoo Map About Us Work at Hertfordshire Zoo! Work Experience & Research Shows & Talks Meet our Trustees & Ambassadors Volunteering Opportunities Location & Filming enquires Risk Assessments Contact us

News & Socials

News & Socials Articles Facebook Instagram YouTube TikTok Twitter Contact PR

Events

Events All events

EN10 7QA

01992 470490

info@hertfordshirezoo.com

Sign-in

Big Cat Sanctuary

Contact

Barn Owl

The Barn Owl are the most widespread of all the birds of prey in the world, found on every continent except for the north and south poles.

They use their amazing sense of hearing to detect the sound of rodents with deadly accuracy. Their facial disc is a heart shape and unique to Barn owls and Bay owls.

Least Concern
Near Threatened
Vulnerable
Endangered
Critically Endangered
Extinct in the Wild
Extinct

Barn owls are relatively common throughout most of their range, but numbers are declining worldwide mostly due to habitat destruction, especially in the UK. Climate affects their numbers quite dramatically as well, as they are unable to hunt in prolonged wet weather.

Meet Sophie!

Sophie is now a very old lady! She spends a lot of her time tucked up in her box, peering out as people go by. Out of our two barn owls Sophie is the less spotty individual. Sophie’s Favourite food is chicks and mice.

Meet Gertie!

Gertie is very inquisitive and always likes to come and see what keepers are doing in her aviary. She can often be heard making the characteristic ‘screech’ sound that barn owls make. She is a great flyer and demonstrates her natural quartering behaviour in the shows. She does also love a shower on a hot day, getting so carried away with it that she often falls over in her water dish. She is the spottier of our two barn owls with lots of tiny, black spots on her chest.