American Barn Owl
Tyto furcata
The American Barn Owl (Tyto furcata) is a common bay owls and barn owl found in 39 countries. The American barn owl is usually considered a subspecies group and together with the western barn owl group, the eastern barn owl group, and sometimes the Andaman masked owl, make up the barn owl, cosmopolitan in range.
About the American Barn Owl
The American barn owl is usually considered a subspecies group and together with the western barn owl group, the eastern barn owl group, and sometimes the Andaman masked owl, make up the barn owl, cosmopolitan in range. The barn owl is recognized by most taxonomic authorities. A few separate them into distinct species, as is done here. The American barn owl is native to North and South America, and has been introduced to Hawaii.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The American barn owl is a medium-sized, pale-coloured owl with long wings and a short, squarish tail. However, the largest-bodied race of barn owl, T. f. furcata from Cuba and Jamaica, is also an island race, albeit being found on more sizeable islands with larger prey and few larger owls competing for dietary resources. The shape of the tail is a means of distinguishing the barn owl from typical owls when seen in the air. Other distinguishing features are the undulating flight pattern and the dangling, feathered legs.
What the American Barn Owl sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Canada.
When to see it
The American Barn Owl can be seen all year round, with peak activity in May. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Watch the American Barn Owl on live cams
Browse all 118 bird cams worldwide, live and seasonal, by region and species.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an American Barn Owl?
- The American barn owl is a medium-sized, pale-coloured owl with long wings and a short, squarish tail. Full identification notes are on this page.
- Where can you see an American Barn Owl?
- The American Barn Owl occurs in 39 countries, including the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile.
- What does an American Barn Owl sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the American Barn Owl on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to an American Barn Owl?
- The American Barn Owl is most easily confused with the Western Barn Owl, the Eastern Barn Owl and the Sooty Owl.
Learn the American Barn Owl for real
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