In a joint effort to expand the knowledge and understanding of the flora and fauna of Polk County, the Pacolet Area Conservancy and botanist, David Campbell, need your help in locating this month’s Polk County’s Most Wanted-Animal, the barn owl (Tyto alba), a ghostly nocturnal denizen of our fields and farmlands.

The barn owl is a distinctive species, buff in coloration with a slightly darker back.  They have a white, heart-shaped face and stand approximately one and a half feet in height. 

The barn owl is an unmistakable member of our avian fauna. In flight, it often looks entirely white. The preferred prey of the barn owl includes mice, voles, and other rodents.

As its common name suggests, the barn owl often frequents farmlands and fields. In pre-Colombian times, this species likely nested in large, hollow trees; however, with the settlement of the land by Europeans, barn owls happily took up residence in silos, tobacco sheds, various outbuildings, and of course, in barns. When present, barn owls can be difficult to detect, and purposeful searching may be required to find them.

An uncommon and rarely observed species, the barn owl has been declining in abundance for the past several decades. Likely reasons for the decline include a loss of habitat, the destruction or decay of old barns, the switch by farmers from wooden barns with gaps or openings to fully-enclosed metal barns, and also the possible displacement or predation of the barn owl by great horned owls.

The barn owl occurs widely throughout North Carolina, but is not common. To our knowledge, Polk County has never reported an occurrence of this species, but it has been observed nesting just across the state line in Spartanburg County, S.C. There is a recent record of nesting in Burke County also.

Barn owls could very well be found in Polk County, and as an easily identified species, there should be no mistake in identifying it. The Pacolet Area Conservancy would be very interested in hearing from readers who may have knowledge of barn owls spotted in the county.

If you have information relating to this species, please contact PAC at 828-859-5060, or e-mail comments, questions, or photos to landprotection@pacolet.org.   

All of the Polk County’s Most Wanted can be viewed on the PAC website, pacolet.org.  Click on the “Conservation” tab and scroll down and click on the “Polk County’s Most Wanted” tab.

PAC has also created a pocket guide of Polk County’s Most Wanted that can be printed and taken in the field. The pocket guide can be accessed on PAC’s website, too.

– article submitted by Pam Torlina