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Barn Owls perch hunting

In very cold weather, Barn Owls prefer to use perches such as fence posts to hunt from, rather than hunting from the air. This saves energy that would be used in flight and reduces heat loss – an Owl flying with wings outstretched loses body heat much faster than a perched one. Below are some photos of Barn Owls perch hunting in the wild.

A Barn Owl Perched While Hunting (Nick Sampford)

Nick Sampford

A Barn Owl Perch Hunting from a fence post (Russell Savory)

Russell Savory

A Barn Owl Perched While Hunting (Russell Savory)

Russell Savory

A Barn Owl Perched While Hunting (Nick Sampford)

Nick Sampford

A Barn Owl Perched While Hunting (Lisa Phillips)

Lisa Phillips

A Barn Owl Perched While Hunting (Nick Sampford)

Nick Sampford

A Barn Owl Perched on a fencepost While Hunting (Margaret Robson)

Margaret Robson

A Barn Owl Perched on a gate While Hunting (Jeremy Peak)

Jeremy Peak

A Barn Owl Perch Hunting at night (Ruth Attenborrow)

Ruth Attenborrow

These images have been generously provided by Barn Owl Trust staff and supporters. All material is copyrighted and may not be reproduced without permission.
If you are interested in photographing owls yourself, it is important to know about the legal protections in place to prevent the disturbance of wild Barn Owls and their nesting sites. You can read more about photography and licensing here.