Rare barn owls hatch late brood of chicks in S. Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (AP) - A pair of rare barn owls is tending to an unusually late brood of chicks in their southern Indiana nest that's outfitted with a webcam.

The Department of Natural Resources says the mother owl laid a second clutch of eggs in late September, which is quite late in the nesting season.

DNR staffers recently inspected the nest and found three healthy chicks and two much smaller chicks.

DNR nongame bird biologist Allisyn Gillet says the healthy chicks will likely survive until fledging if they find sufficient food in the coming weeks.

Barn owls have a distinctive, heart-shaped face and are so-named because they often build their nests in barns. They are an endangered species in Indiana.

The DNR says only 10 barn owl nests were reported statewide in 2015.