Dietary Analysis of the Barn Owl

Why?Barn Owl decrease in Pennsylvania and throughout its range

1st PA Breeding Bird Atlas 1983-89

2nd atlas 2004-2008

Barn Owl aka Monkey-Faced Owl

Owl Pellets• Not poop!• Undigested bones and fur• Pellet ejection at the nest

Meadow Vole Microtus pennsylvanicus

Likely things you’ll find...

• Meadow Vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus• Masked Shrew, Sorex cinereus• Star-nosed Mole, Condylura cristata

Meadow VoleMicrotus pennsylvanicus

• Herbivore• Widespread• Active year-round,

mostly nocturnal• ~5 pups, 1-5 times

per year

Meadow Vole

Masked ShrewSorex cinereus

• Maximum size ~8 grams

• Active year round• May eat own

weight in a day

Masked Shrew

Sorex monticolus

Sorex monticolus

Star-nosed Mole

Southern Red-Backed VoleMyodes gapperi

House MouseMus musculus

White-footed MousePeromyscus leucopus

Deer MousePeromyscus maniculatus

Meadow Jumping MouseZapus hudsonius

Woodland Jumping MouseNapaeozapus insignis

Northern Short-tailed ShrewBlarina brevicauda

Masked ShrewSorex cinereus

Eastern CottontailSylvilagus floridanus

Eastern ChipmunkTamias striatus

Norway RatRattus norvegicus

European StarlingSturnus vulgaris

House SparrowPasser domesticus