Backyard Action Hero Toyota Backyard Action Hero Guidebook August 2016 | Page 8

City Adaptations Every living creature is important in keeping the balance for a healthy ecosystem. That’s why it’s so important that we protect our animal friends. Learn about how barn owls survive in a city ecosystem and what you can do to help them. Pictured: Barn Owl The barn owl's name comes from its habit of nesting in abandoned buildings. Its habitats include plains, deserts, forests, farms and cities. Barn owls play an important part in a city ecosystem because they like to eat small rodents like rats, mice and many insects. This helps us to limit the population of these kinds of pests! Unfortunately, chemicals used to kill pests can poison barn owls. Rodenticides are especially harmful because mice and rats make up such a large part of an owl’s diet. LOUISVILLEZOO.ORG/BAH