Your eye catches a hint of movement near the top of the old house, and you see a pale form move across one of the broken attic windows. Just when you're sure you've imagined it you hear what sounds like a strangled woman's scream!
You've just had an encounter with a Barn Owl.
Barn Owls (Tyto alba) are probably the root cause of more haunted mansion stories than almost anything else. They are readily attracted to abandoned (and sometimes not abandoned) buildings, and are fairly common in and around towns all over the world. Barn Owls prefer the upper floors, which they'll use as a roost during the winter, and a nest site in summer. That broken attic window is a perfect invitation.
Barn Owls are fairly large birds, pale in color with large dark eyes, and they have smoothly rounded heads. Like all owls, they are quiet, so you won't hear them swoop in, or out, when they hunt. They also sleep all day long, preferring dark corners, so you're not likely to know they're around during the day. All this makes them perfect for giving the impression of a ghostly human form in an upper window.
And to top it all off, their call really does sound like a high-pitched scream. But rather than showing fright, they use it like other birds - to say "here I am."
One interesting bit of trivia about Barn Owls is that they have exceptional hearing. In one study, a Barn Owl was put in a black-painted windowless room, with the light turned off. A dark colored mouse was put in the room, and the owl swept across the room straight at it and picked it up.
They do prefer to hunt with some light, and since this year (2001) there will be a Halloween full moon, you might just see one yourself.
Two other birds that are often associated with this season are the Common Raven (Corvus corax) and the American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos). Though Common Ravens occur only in the Northern Hemisphere, and American Crows only in North America, there are other kinds of ravens and crows that occur throughout most of the world.
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