Barn owls were medium-sized nocturnal birds found across temperate and tropical regions. They stood a little over a foot tall and weighed about a pound. Their pale, heart-shaped faces and silent flight made them distinct among Owls, but like others, they hunted mainly by sound, striking rodents and small birds with precise dives guided by their asymmetrical hearing.
They nested in hollow trees, ruins, and human structures, preferring high, sheltered perches with wide fields of approach. Mated pairs often returned to the same site year after year, raising several broods before moving on. Their calls were sharp and harsh, more like a scream than a hoot, which gave rise to many superstitions linking them with ill omen or restless spirits.
In rural areas, barn owls were tolerated or even protected because of the number of vermin they killed. They cleared fields and storehouses of pests without threat to livestock or crops. Despite their fragile appearance, they adapted easily to the presence of Smallfolk, finding opportunity in the very settlements that displaced other hunters of the night.