Black barn owl

A melanistic Barn Owl named 'Sweep'. Photo by John Harding.

Melanistic barn owl by fremlin Melanism is an undue development of dark-colored pigment in the skin or its appendages and is the opposite of albinism. Historically, it was also the medical term for black jaundice. Pseudo-melanism, also called abundism, is another variant of pigmentation, characterized by dark spots or enlarged stripes, which cover a large part of the body of the animal making it appear melanistic.

This young barn owl is one in a million after being born with a rare genetic condition that has made her feathers jet black.

We have discussed in this blog, at various times in the past, the amazing adaptations exhibited by the Common Barn Owl—its feathers, its uncanny ability to locate prey by sound, its eyesight, etc. One of World Bird Sanctuary's resident Barn Owls--Goblin Recently a friend forwarded a You Tube link to me that demonstrates, in slow motion, many of these features of the Barn Owl. It gives the viewer an astonishing mouse-eye view of what happens when a Barn Owl zeroes in on its prey—the location…

Chilling in its house - taken at the Barn at Beal, Lindisfarne, northumberland

Have you ever seen a black barn owl?

Common Barn Owl, Black

Black barn owl