Barn Owl (IMAGE) Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Caption Like most owls, the barn owl (Tyto alba) sleeps during the day and hunts at night. The black spots on its feathers are related to various metabolism functions. Credit Reto Burri Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.