A medium-sized owl with a white ‘heart-shaped' facial disc. The body is sandy orange and light grey above, and white to cream underneath. Both the back and breast are evenly spotted with black. Young birds are similar to adults in plumage and females are slightly larger than males.
The softness of this feather is a key adaptation for silent flight, and Barn Owls really do glide through the air with the same soundless quality as falling snow. Their dense plumage muffles sound and tiny serrations, like the teeth of a comb, run along the leading edge of each flight feather to break up the turbulence that would otherwise create the swoosh of a flapping wing.
The velvet-soft downy coating is a feature unique to owls that improves air flow and dampens smaller currents, as does the super-soft fringe on each wing’s trailing edge. The wings themselves are very large for such a lightweight bird, allowing a barn owl to fly incredibly slowly and hover on the slightest breeze.
Grading: (P) Pristine. (AB) Above Average (A) Average. (F) Fair
