It prefers small mammals but occasionally in winter when mice and gophers are scarce, it will take small birds. The indigestible parts are formed into pellets and disgorged at the roosting area or about the nest. Life Cycle Barn owls choose nesting sights almost anywhere, in old buildings, hollow trees and on or in the ground. No effort is made to build or even line the nest. The female lays from 5 to 7 white, spotless eggs at intervals of 2 or 3 days.
Incubation starts after the first egg is laid.
It takes from 32 to 34 days for the first egg to hatch, so a nest may contain 4 or 5 young of different size and age. They are covered with snow-white down for 6 days. This is gradually replaced by a buff-colored down which develops into a thick, woolly covering that is still in evidence for about 50 days. The little owlets are hungry all the time. Both parents are busy night after night ransacking the adjoining areas to catch an unbelievable number of small ground creatures to feed their ravenous babies.