Ghost Owls Ghost Owls by Norman Murray Barn Owls have adapted to building as nesting sites. A mong Missouri's owls, barn owls are champion listeners, able to detect the location of a mouse using only their ears. They are oddities among Missouri owls in other ways. Their plumage is sparsely speckled with small black dots. Their heart-shaped face is white and outlined with tan.
Barn owls can hear and capture a mouse in a completely dark room.
Their feathers channel sound into their ears. Barn owl eyes are small and dark, differing from the large, yellow eyes of most owls. A long bill and long legs, feathered to the toes, give barn owls an ungainly appearance. They have a strange habit of bobbing their heads and shuffling from side to side when discovered. While other owls hoot, barn owls emit loud, spine-chilling hisses.