Barn Owls are common in north Texas

Barn Owls

Since Barn Owls are nocturnal, however, you may not see them. Interesting trivia:  A researcher with too much time on his hands tracked a Barn Owl as it moved around during an 11-day period. The owl (mainly in pursuit of food), travelled 827 miles, but ended up just 162 miles from where he started.  All owls stay roughly near where they were born, for their entire lives.

Building a nestbox for Barn Owls isn't hard. Just make sure there's enough room inside for lots of nestlings. A good plan is at http://fw.ky.gov/pdf/barnowlboxes2010.pdf   The Barn Owl (along with the Great-horned Owl) feasts on rodents - up to 5 per night.

Barn Owl

A group of owls is called a "parliament".  Also, owls have roughly twice as many bones in their necks as humans, so they can rotate their heads 270 degrees, a valuable tool when hunting. A typical adult Barn Owl can eat about 1500 rats a year, in exchange for very inexpensive housing.