Barn owls (Tyto alba) feeding on a rat. Parent feeding a nearly fully-grown young owl with a hunted rat. The young owl was raised in a coop provided on a farm in Israel. The barn owl is used by Israeli farmers as a natural pest control. Barn owls are one of the most economically valuable wildlife animals to farmers. Farmers often find these owls more effective than poison in keeping down rodent pests, and they can encourage barn owl habitation by providing nest sites.