A hand-reared African barn owl chick (Tyto alba). This chick was the last remaining bird of a clutch as its siblings had been victims of cainism by an older chick. Cainism in ornithology describes the killing of a younger or weaker sibling by an older or stronger bird. Barn owl chicks are relatively slow to develop. On average they take 8 weeks to fledge (develop full flight feathers) and remain dependent on their parents for a further 3 to 5 weeks. They prey on small animals, mainly rodents. They hunt at night and can find their prey by sound alone. Barn owls are geographically widespread, being found on 5 continents. Photographed at the REST (The Rare and Endangered Species Trust) sanctuary near Outjo in Namibia. | |
Licence : | Droits gérés |
Crédit: | Science Photo Library / Camacho, Tony |
Taille de l’image : | 3464 px × 5045 px |
Model Release : | Non requis |
Property Release : | Non requis |
Restrictions : | - |