This Indian owl with its heart-shaped face closely resembles the European Barn Owl Strix flammea, but according to Gould, it could be easily identified by 'its larger size, longer tarsi, much larger feet, and by the more buffy hue of its plumage, and the smaller size of the spots with which it is ornamented.' Illustrations of the Barn Owl in Gould's other works are a single figure by Edward Lear in the The Birds of Europe, I, p.36, and adult birds with young by H.C. Richter in The Birds of Great Britain, I, pl.28.
Gould quoted from the ornithologist, T.C. Jerdon 'Sometimes it takes its quarters in a grove of old trees, in the holes of which it roosts during the day; at others it lives in deserted buildings, tombs, pagodas and mosques etc... It hunts entirely by night, not coming forth until it is quite dark, and lives on rats, mice, shrews etc. More than once, one has flown into a room in which I was sitting with open doors and windows, after a rat that had entered'.
The owl is depicted lifesize.
T.C. Jerdon, Birds of India, 1862-64, I, p.117
E. Blyth, The Ibis, 1866, p.260
DISTRIBUTION: Western Palaearctic and African region, southern Asia, Indonesia, New Guinea region, Melanesia and southern Polynesia and Australia. Also throughout the Americas