Couples often use an old nest that have been occupied for decades rather than buiding a new one. The female lays four to seven solid white eggs in a dark space surrounded by pellets. She then incubates them until early May. When the species is not breeding, it is solitary or in pairs. It typically roosts in tree cavities, cliff crevices, or in riverbanks, but it can also be found roosting in many human structures such as barns, nest boxes, and churches.
Barn owls are such efficient hunters that it is suspected that they spend much time loafing.
The species is only partially migratory, with northern populations flying south during the winter months. When facing an intruder, the owl spreads its wings and tilts them so that their dorsal surface is towards the intruder. It then sways its head back and forth. This threat display is accompanied with hissing and billstraps that are given with the eyes squinted. Habitat Barn owls occupy a vast range of habitats from rural to urban, but they prefer warm climates with mild winters.