2013 Barn Owl Colored Commemorative Quarter

Part of the Birds of Canada Quarter Series.

Unlike other birds of prey, the Barn Owl does not hoot; instead, it makes a variety of odd sounds that include screams, screeches, and hisses. It is an adaptable bird that prefers to nest in tree cavities, holes in rock faces, and abandoned buildings but will also nest in attics, silos, and other occupied structures. The Barn Owl's appearance is striking. Its body is adorned with beautiful golden back, wing, and tail feathers. It has long legs, sharp talons, and a broad wingspan of up to one metre. Its otherworldly white, disc-shaped face is punctuated by two dark forward-looking eyes and a small beak.

Design: Designed by Canadian artist Trevor Tennant and features a painted barn owl in full flight, viewed from its left side as it flaps its broad white and gold wings, perhaps readying itself to swoop in silence on its unsuspecting prey. The owl's left profile is rendered to stunning effect, with the side of its distinctive oval face, snubbed beak and small, piercing black eye beautifully portrayed against the sunset. Its long legs and sharp talons are held aloft below its short, square tail feathers. In the background is a wire fenced field of tall grasses flanked, in the far background, by an abandoned barn—one of the barn owl's preferred nesting spots. The pinkish sky of sunset meets the field on the horizon