Bird Guide

American Barn Owl vs Western Barn Owl

American Barn Owl (Tyto furcata)

American Barn Owl

Tyto furcata

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.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the American Barn Owl
Recorded by Alexandra Liberato · Call · Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Sam Kieschnick · Public domain
Western Barn Owl (Tyto alba)

Western Barn Owl

Tyto alba

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The barn owl is a medium-sized, pale-coloured owl with long wings and a short, squarish tail. There is some size variation across the subspecies, with a typical specimen measuring about 33 to 35 cm (13 to 14 in) in overall length, with a wingspan of 80 to 95 cm (31 to 37 in). Adult weight is also variable, with nominate T. a. alba from Italy weighing 240–310 g (8.5–10.9 oz), T. a. guttata in Germany weighing 290–480 g (10–17 oz), while T. a. poensis from South Africa weighs 295–380 g (10.4–13.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Western Barn Owl
Recorded by Philippe_Grange · Nocturnal flight call · Arrondissement de la Roche-sur-Yon (near La Roche-sur-Yon), Vendée, Pays de la Loire, France · CC0
Photo: (c) caroline legg, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: American Barn Owl and Western Barn Owl.