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Range
Central New England
south throughout the United States to Mexico.
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Size
| Length |
14-21
inches |
| Wingspan |
41-42 inches |
| Weight |
1-2 pounds |
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Habitat
Open country such as farms, savannas, and grassland.
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Diet
Mainly rats and mice, but they are opportunists.
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Characteristics
A slender, long-legged, medium sized owl with
a distinctive white, heart-shaped face. Non-tufted; generally
tan in color. Nests in barns, silos, church steeples,
and unused buildings. Will accept nest boxes of a specific
type. Calls are quite varied, and include shrill hisses,
abrasive shrieks and rattles. When hunting will occasionally
let out a drawn-out scream to startle prey. In trouble
in Virginia because of loss of habitat, nesting sites,
and monoculture agriculture. |
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