Pale owl with light tan and greyish upperparts. Whitish underparts, feathers flecked with black. and a distinctive heart-shaped white facial disc and no 'ears'.  Length: 35- 41 cm        

A very rare species in the Falkland Islands, but they are known to breed there. Little information is available on Falklands Barn owls as they are nocturnal, quiet and sectetive. They tend to be associated with human settlement where there is gorse and rodents. These Barn owls were bred on Saunders Island, West Falklands.

They are uncommon residents in Tierra del Fuego, islands of the Beagle Channel and coastal Patagonia. They do however, range virtually worldwide in tropical and temperate countries.

Sources include: Falkland Islands State of the Environment Report 2008 Otley H, Munro G, Clausen A, Ingham B. A Field Guide to the Wildlife of The Falkland Islands and South Georgia - Ian J Strange, Guide to Birds of the Falkland Islands- Robin W. Woods.

Photographic credits: Barn owls at Saunders Island photographed by Dilys Waton

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