Eastern Barn Owl
<p><strong>Eastern Barn Owl:</strong> <strong><em>Knock knock... who’s there?</em></strong></p>
<p>Barn Owls are so named because they learned to adapt to barns and barn-like structures when human beings started building them, but their original Latin name<em> Tyto alba</em>, literally means white owl. Away from human settlements, these incredibly beautiful owls shelter in rock crevices, caves, and tree hollows, quite the same way as other owls. That they have been able to colonise expanding human settlements is testament to their adaptability to urban conditions, as demonstrated by this Eastern Barn Owl<em> Tyto javanica</em> photographed in Mumbai, Maharashtra.</p>
<p>Their heart-shaped faces and spangled plumage enable them to predate on nocturnal species, including mice and rats. The Eastern Grass Owl, belonging to the same genus as the Eastern Barn Owl, has also unfortunately made it to the list of trafficked Indian owls.</p>
