The barn owl’s brilliant white underbelly is the key to its success as a nocturnal hunter, allowing the bird to camouflage itself against the moon, according to new research.

Barn owls range from white to dark reddish-brown. In the moonlight, white ones hunt more successfully. Likely, they resemble ghosts scaring their prey to immobility.

Or they run. But when they see a white owl in bright moonlight, the terrified rodents act like deer caught in headlights and freeze up to five seconds longer than they do for a reddish brown barn owl.

Or they run. But when they see a white owl in bright moonlight, the terrified rodents act like deer caught in headlights and freeze up to 5 seconds longer than they do for a reddish-brown barn owl.

White Owl, Barn Owl Nicola Davies. Candlewick Press (MA), $16.99 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-7636-3364-6 The gentle quietness of the barn owl pervades the pages of this lovely story.

Being white can make it tough to blend in—if you’re a nocturnal bird, that is. For years, researchers have puzzled over the snowy plumage of some barn owls (Tyto alba), which makes them stick ...

Very distinctively colored, the Barn Owl is easily distinguishable from all other owls in this area. The first distinctive feature is the white, heart-shaped face that is set apart by a thin ...

Barn Owls The Barn Owl is one of the most widely distributed birds in the world, found on all continents except Antarctica. It is a medium-sized owl. White or mostly white underside. Heart-shaped ...

According to the researchers, this may explain why both types of barn owl plumage persist. White barn owls are only favoured under certain conditions, such as under a full moon.

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, it may not be amore at all. If you're a vole, it might be a ghostly white barn owl about to kill and eat you.