The Ashy-faced Owl is similar in size and appearance to the
North American Barn Owl, but overall darker, grayer, and with a
distinctly ashy-gray facial disk. It was once thought to be a
subspecies of the Barn Owl, but is now recognized as a separate
species endemic to the island of Hispaniola (Haiti and the
Dominican Republic). Data on the species is still somewhat
limited, but it is thought to favour open woodlands, forests,
and scrub, including areas around towns and villages. Ashy-faced
Owls prey primarily on small mammals and birds, but also hunt
tree frogs and lizards. The population of these owls is
declining, largely due to habitat loss, which in turn is a
consequence of the rapid growth of the Dominican Republic's
human population from less than 2.5 million in 1950 to over 8
million just half a century later. The Ashy-faced Owl is more
dependant on forests than the somewhat larger Barn Owl; as a
result, deforestation has benefited the Barn Owl at the expense
of the Ashy-faced Owl. The Ashy-faced Owl w