Editing Tytonidae (section)

==Status and conservation==
[[File:LT-2002-5litai-Tyto-b.png|thumb|right|upright|Barn owl on Lithuanian 5 [[litas|litų]] silver coin (2002)]]

The barn owl is relatively common throughout most of its range and not considered globally threatened. If considered as a single global species, the barn owl is the second most widely distributed of all [[Bird of prey|raptors]], after only the [[peregrine falcon]]. It is wider-ranging than the also somewhat [[Cosmopolitan distribution|cosmopolitan]] [[osprey]]. Furthermore, the barn owl is likely the most numerous of all raptors, with the [[IUCN Red List]] assessor estimating a population possibly as large as nearly 10 million individuals.<ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |year=2019 |amends=2016 |title=''Tyto alba'' |page=e.T22688504A155542941 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T22688504A155542941.en}}</ref><ref>Sauer, J. R., D. K. Niven, J. E. Hines, D. J. Ziolkowski Jr., K. L. Pardieck, J. E. Fallon, and W. A. Link (2017). ''The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966–2015''. Version 2.07.2017. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD, USA.</ref> Severe local declines due to [[organochlorine]] (e.g., [[DDT]]) poisoning in the mid 20th century and [[rodenticide]]s in the late 20th century have affected some populations, particularly in Europe and North America. Intensification of agricultural practices often means that the rough grassland that provides the best foraging habitat is lost.<ref name="Taylor261">Taylor (2004) pp. 242–261</ref> While barn owls are prolific breeders and able to recover from short-term population decreases, they are not as common in some areas as they used to be. A 1995–1997 survey put their British population at between 3,000 and 5,000 breeding pairs, out of an average of about 150,000 pairs in the whole of [[Europe]]. In the US, barn owls are listed as [[endangered species]] in seven [[Midwestern United States|Midwestern states]] ([[Ohio]], [[Michigan]], [[Indiana]], [[Illinois]], [[Wisconsin]], [[Iowa]], and [[Missouri]]), and in the [[European Community]] they are considered a Species of European Concern.<ref name="bruce1999" /><ref name="BTO" />

In [[Canada]], barn owls are no longer common and are most likely to be found in coastal [[British Columbia]] south of Vancouver,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sccp.ca/species-habitat/barn-owl|title=Barn Owl|website=South Coast Conservation Program|accessdate=1 December 2018}}</ref> having become extremely rare in a previous habitat, southern [[Ontario]]. In spite of a Recovery Strategy, particularly in 2007–2010 in Ontario,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ontario.ca/page/barn-owl-recovery-strategy|title=Barn Owl Recovery Strategy|website=Ontario.ca|accessdate=1 December 2018}}</ref> only a handful of wild, breeding barn owls existed in the province in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvo.org/article/current-affairs/endangered-ontario-why-barn-owls-have-flown-the-coop-in-ontario|title=Endangered Ontario: Why barn owls have flown the coop in Ontario|date=28 August 2017|website=TVO}}</ref> This is primarily because of disappearing grasslands where the bird hunted in the past, but according to a study, also because of "harsh winters, predation, road mortality and use of rodenticides".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://files.ontario.ca/environment-and-energy/species-at-risk/286962.pdf|title=Barn Owl ''(Tyto alba)'' in Ontario|series=Ontario Recovery Strategy Series|website=Files.ontario.ca|date=February 2010}}</ref> The species is listed as endangered overall in Canada, due to loss of habitat and a lack of nesting sites.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.simplywildcanada.com/wild-species/birds-of-canada/owls-of-canada/|title=Owls of Canada|website=Simplywildcanada.com|accessdate=1 December 2018}}</ref>

[[File:Barn Owl, Ontario, Canada.jpg|thumb|Captive barn owl near [[Lake Erie]], in Ontario; the species has become extremely rare in this province.]]

In the [[Canary Islands]], a somewhat larger number of these birds still seem to exist on the island of [[Lanzarote]], but altogether this particular subspecies (''T. a. gracilirostris'', the Canary barn owl) is precariously rare: perhaps fewer than two hundred individuals still remain. Similarly, the birds on the western Canary Islands, which are usually assigned to this subspecies, have severely declined, and wanton destruction of the birds seems to be significant. On [[Tenerife]], they seem relatively numerous, but on the other islands, as on [[Fuerteventura]], the situation looks bleak. Due to the assignment to this subspecies of birds common in mainland [[Spain]], the western Canary Islands population is not classified as threatened.<ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=http://mdc.ulpgc.es/cdm/ref/collection/MDC/id/1901|title=Aves y plantas de Fuerteventura en peligro de extinción|publisher=Asociación Canaria para Defensa de la Naturaleza|year=1975|pages=10–32|language=es|chapter=Aves de Fuerteventura en peligro de extinción|last1=Álamo Tavío|first1=Manuel|access-date=18 September 2014|archive-date=6 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006072434/http://mdc.ulpgc.es/cdm/ref/collection/MDC/id/1901|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.magrama.gob.es/es/biodiversidad/temas/conservacion-de-especies-amenazadas/lechuza_tcm7-20972.pdf|title=''Tyto alba gracilirostris'' Hartert, 1905|year=2006|publisher=El Ministerio de Medio Ambiente agradece sus comentarios, Spain|language=es|access-date=2014-09-19|archive-date=18 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150718125232/http://www.magrama.gob.es/es/biodiversidad/temas/conservacion-de-especies-amenazadas/lechuza_tcm7-20972.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|year=2004|title=Current status and distribution of birds of prey in the Canary Islands|journal=Bird Conservation International|volume=14|issue=3|pages=203–213|doi=10.1017/S0959270904000255|author=Palacios, César-Javier|doi-access=free}}</ref>

[[Nest box]]es are used primarily when populations suffer declines.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Watts|first=Bryan|date=2004|title=An evaluation of nest box use by Common Barn Owls in Virginia|journal=The Raven|volume=75 |issue=2|pages=71–72}}</ref> Although such declines have many causes, among them are the lack of available natural nesting sites. Early successes among conservationists have led to the widespread provision of nest boxes, which has become the most used form of [[Population control|population management]]. The barn owl accepts the provided nest boxes and sometimes prefers them to natural sites.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Meyrom|first1=Kobi|last2=Motro|first2=Yoav|last3=Leshem|first3=Yossi|last4=Aviel|first4=Shaul|last5=Izhaki|first5=Ido|last6=Argyle|first6=Francis|last7=Charter|first7=Motti|title=Nest-Box use by the Barn OwlTyto albain a Biological Pest Control Program in the Beit She'an Valley, Israel|journal=Ardea|language=en-US|volume=97|issue=4|pages=463–467|doi=10.5253/078.097.0410|year=2009|s2cid=86309543|doi-access=free}}</ref> The nest boxes are placed under the eaves of buildings and in other locations. The upper bound of the number of barn owl pairs depends on the abundance of food at nesting sites.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Population ecology of raptors / monograph.|last=Ian|first=Newton|date=2010-01-01|publisher=T & AD Poyser|isbn=978-1408138533|oclc=862148605}}</ref> Conservationists encourage farmers and landowners to install nest boxes by pointing out that the resultant increased barn owl population would provide natural rodent control.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hungryowl.org/nesting-box-overview/|title=Nesting Boxes Overview|website=Hungry Owl|publisher=WildCare|author=Hungry Owl Project|access-date=14 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113003047/https://www.hungryowl.org/nesting-box-overview/|archive-date=13 November 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> In some conservation projects, the use of [[rodenticide]]s for pest control was replaced by the installation of nest boxes for barn owls, which has been shown to be a less costly method of rodent control.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Paz |first1=A. |last2=Jareño |first2=D. |last3=Arroyo |first3=L. |last4=Viñuela |first4=J. |last5=Arroyo |first5=B. |last6=Mougeot |first6=F. |last7=Luque-Larena |first7=J. J. |last8=Fargallo |first8=J. A. |title=Avian predators as a biological control system of common vole (Microtus arvalis) populations in north-western Spain: experimental set-up and preliminary results  |journal=Pest Management Science |date=March 2013 |volume=69 |issue=3 |pages=444–450 |doi=10.1002/ps.3289 |pmid=22517676|hdl=10261/142639 }}</ref>

===Cultural aspects===
Common names such as "demon owl", "death owl", "ghost owl", or "lich owl" (from ''lich'', an old term for a corpse) show that rural populations in many places considered barn owls to be birds of evil [[omen]]. For example, the [[Tzeltal people]] in Mexico regard them as "disease givers".<ref>{{Cite book |title=Almas y cuerpo en una tradición indígena tzeltal |last=Pitarch |first=P. |publisher=Archives de sciences sociales des religions |year=2000 |pages=31–47}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Pitarch |first=P. |date=2000 |title=Almas y cuerpo en una tradición indígena tzeltal |journal=Archives de sciences sociales des religions |volume=112 |language=es |issue=112 |pages=31–48 |doi=10.4000/assr.20245 |doi-access=free}}</ref> These owls do not "hoot", instead emitting raspy screeches and hissing noises, and their white face and underbelly feathers, visible as they fly overhead, make them look "ghostly". Consequently, they were often killed by farmers who were unaware of the benefits these birds bring.<ref name=UFNews>{{cite web |url=http://news.ufl.edu/1999/10/28/owls1/ |title=Spooky owl provides natural rodent control for farmers |date=1999 |author=Spence, C. |publisher=University of Florida |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140307224545/http://news.ufl.edu/1999/10/28/owls1/ |archive-date=2014-03-07 |work=UF News |access-date=2014-07-14}}</ref> Negative perceptions can also be attributed to the false belief that they could eat large animals, such as chickens and cats.<ref>{{cite news |title=Farmers, Conservationists Seek Return of Barn Owls |work=National Geographic News |last1=Brendle|first1=A. |url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/10/1030_021030_BarnOwls.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021102103002/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/10/1030_021030_BarnOwls.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 November 2002 |access-date=14 May 2017}}</ref> In [[Thailand]], people believe that when the barn owl flies over or perches on the roof of any house, the inhabitants of that house will die.<ref name=oo/><ref>{{cite web |trans-title=Poor barn owl with Thai beliefs |date=2018 |first=T. |last=Pattanamongkol |title=นแสกผู้น่าสงสารกับความเชื่อแบบไทยๆ |language=thai |work=Sarakadee |accessdate=2022-12-12 |url=https://www.sarakadee.com/2018/09/10/%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%81%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%9C%E0%B8%B9%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%99%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A3/ }}</ref> In South Africa, barn owls are often associated with witchcraft and are persecuted. In some South African cultures, these owls are used in {{lang|af|[[muthi]]}}, a form of [[traditional medicine]], and are believed to give special powers when consumed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gumede, P. |title=Ministries hosts talk on owls |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/SouthAfrica/Local/South-Coast-Fever/ministries-hosts-talk-on-owls-20160426 |access-date=2020-06-08 |work=News24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=People who give a hoot for raptors |work=Iol |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/north-west/people-who-give-a-hoot-for-raptors-2067784 |access-date=2020-06-08}}</ref>

In [[India]], [[Hindus]] consider the barn owl to be the mount and symbol of [[Lakshmi]], goddess of wealth and fortune.<ref name=oo>{{cite web |url=https://www.thaipbs.or.th/program/catchup/99049 |work=Thai PBS |language=thai |date=2022 |accessdate=2022-12-12 |title=นกแสก |trans-title=Barn owl |author=Kerdmamai, S.}}</ref>

[[Mummified]] barn owls from [[Ancient Egypt]] have also been found.<ref name=Gautier>{{citation |journal=Archaeofauna |volume=14 |pages=139–170 journal |last1=Gautier |first1=A. |date=2005 |title=Animal mummies and remains from the Necropolis of Elkab (Upper Egypt) |url=https://revistas.uam.es/archaeofauna/article/view/7441}}</ref>