Barn Owls
Evolution and Ecology

An accessible and beautifully illustrated text, collating global scientific research on the evolution, ecology and behaviour of barn owls.

Alexandre Roulin (Author)

9781107165755, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 26 March 2020

314 pages, 100 b/w illus. 50 colour illus.
25.3 x 17.8 x 2 cm, 0.8 kg

'… presents a beautifully designed, fascinating book about the world of barn owls … I can recommend this book to scientists as well as hobby ornithologists and people interested in nature. There is sure to be something exciting, new or amazing for everyone to discover.' Bettina Almasi, Ornithological Observer

With heart-shaped face, buff back and wings, and pure white underparts, the barn owl is a distinctive and much-loved bird which has fascinated people from many cultures throughout history. How did the barn owl colonise the world? What adaptations have made this bird so successful? How is the increasing impact of human disturbance affecting these animals? Answering these questions and more, Roulin brings together the main global perspectives on the evolution, ecology and behaviour of the barn owl and its relatives, discussing topics such as the high reproductive potential, physiology, social and family interaction, pronounced colour variation and global distribution. Accessible and beautifully illustrated, this definitive volume on the barn owl is for researchers, professionals and graduate students in ornithology, animal behaviour, ecology, conservation biology and evolutionary biology, and will also appeal to amateur ornithologists and nature lovers.

1. Introduction
2. Conservation
3. Parasites and predators
4. Physiology in an ecological context
5. Morphology in an ecological context
6. Foraging
7. Sexual behaviour
8. Reproduction
9. Parental care
10. Sibling interactions
11. Demography
12. Plumage coloration.

Subject Areas: Birds, including cage birds, as pets [WNGK], Wildlife: birds & birdwatching [WNCB], Conservation of wildlife & habitats [RNKH], Zoology: Mammals [PSVW7], Birds [ornithology PSVW6], Zoology: Vertebrates [PSVW], Animal ecology [PSVS], Animal behaviour [PSVP], Evolution [PSAJ]