A wide-ranging raptor

This barn owl doesn't give a hoot, and we mean that literally. Instead of the gentle 'who-who' call of many owls, barn owls emit a hair-raising screech, leading some cultures to shun the birds as bad omens. That's no superstition if you happen to be a small mammal. Not only do barn owls have excellent hearing and sight that makes them ultra-precise night predators, they're also everywhere: These raptors range across all continents except Antarctica. Even still, well-lit sightings like this are uncommon—though some barn owl populations have even adapted to hunt during daytime. Geez, can a scurrying rodent catch a break?