Salmonella spp. in nestling common barn-owls (Tyto alba) from southwestern New Jersey

The prevalence of Salmonella spp. in nestling common barn-owls was investigated in southwestern New Jersey during the summer of 1985. Of 94 owls sampled by swabbing the cloaca, eight (8.5%) were found to harbor Salmonella spp. Three serotypes--S. thompson, S. tuindorp, and S. typhimurium--were identified. Five (20%) of the 25 nest sites examined (all of them in or near farm buildings or dwellings) contained Salmonella-positive owls.