Reputed to be excellent mousers, barn owls consume twice as much prey for their weight as other owls. Small mammals, including mice, moles, shrews, cotton rats, Norway rats, gophers and rabbits, form the bulk of the barn owl menu. Voles, small rodents with short tails, are the primary food when available. Barn owls occasionally feed on birds, insects, reptiles and amphibians. During breeding season, male barn owls hiss in flight to attract females and to warn away other males.
Barn owls form monogamous, long-lasting pair bonds.
They can nest any time of the year and can produce two to three broods per year when food is abundant. However, most pairs nest from March through July. The large brown eyes of barn owls are set in a feathery facial disc that collects sounds like a radar telescope or satellite dish and funnels them toward the ears. Natural barn owl nest sites include tree cavities, burrows and crevices in rock outcrops and cliffs. As large, hollow trees disappeared and settlers built barns with open lofts, barn owls quickly adopted barns and other buildings as nesting sites.