Animal Profiles
Birds

Barn Owl

Tyto alba

Living

Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.

The barn owl is a pale nocturnal hunter with a heart-shaped face. It searches open ground for small mammals and uses sheltered cavities in trees, cliffs and buildings for nesting.

Tyto alba (barn owl)

Steven Ward · CC BY

At a glance

Location
Open countryside with sheltered nesting cavities.
Habitat
Grassland, Wetlands, Towns and cities
Diet
Carnivore
Food
Mainly small mammals, including mice and voles.

Classification

Common name
Barn Owl
Browse group
Birds
Scientific name or taxon
Tyto alba
Taxon rank
species
Order
Strigiformes
Family
Tytonidae
Genus
Tyto
Source classification
Aves

Taxonomy checked against GBIF. For breeds and hybrids, this describes the listed parent taxon.

Three things to know

  • It can locate prey using sound.
  • Soft feathers help quiet its flight.
  • Nest sites can be used repeatedly.

Habitat and range

Barn owls hunt over fields, grasslands and marshes, resting in dark sheltered places by day. The cited account treats a worldwide barn-owl complex; this profile retains Tyto alba and does not apply that older global range to the modern species.

Appearance and adaptations

A rounded head lacks ear tufts. Pale underparts contrast with a mottled, warm-toned back, while the facial disc surrounds the eyes and bill.

Diet and behaviour

Mice, voles, shrews and other small mammals provide most prey. Acute hearing helps the owl find animals concealed in vegetation. It takes prey with its feet during low hunting flights and usually swallows small captures whole.

Sources

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