Hello, my name is Whisper and I’m a female Barn Owl. I hatched on 21st March 2011. My Latin name is Tyto Alba, but I’m called Whisper because of my silent flight.
I am the most wide-spread of all land birds. I can be found on all continents (except Antarctica).
My heart-shaped facial disk picks up on sounds in exactly the same way a satellite dish picks up signals for your television.
My species suffered declines through the 20th century. Pesticides such as DDT were used to control the rodent population, and yes, you guessed it, the Barn Owls were feeding their owlets on the poisoned rats and mice. Now falconers, like Sam, educate people to build owl boxes to keep down the numbers of mice instead. Our numbers are on the increase now. You might even be lucky enough to see a Barn Owl just like me someday.
I eat day old chicks, chopped up rats, quail, rabbit and venison. My favourite is mice, and I can eat 7 of them in one sitting.