I was surprised to read barn owls are on the endangered list in Canada, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and Missouri. And, they are on the Special Concern list in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and in Europe.

Reasons for the decline? Pesticides (ingesting poisoned rodents), decreasing agriculture (less roosting places), urbanization (less hunting opportunities) and increasing traffic (low-flying hunters).

As of June 24, 2022 IUCN’s Red List shows them as under Least Concern as recent counts estimate between 4 million and 10 million barn owls in the world. Still…

Precious One seemed the perfect name for this barn owl owlet.