Bird Guide

Sooty Owl vs Western Barn Owl

Sooty Owl (Tyto tenebricosa)

Sooty Owl

Tyto tenebricosa

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Greater sooty owls have a finely white spotted head with scattered white spots on the wings. The females are lighter colored than the males. They appear to be the heaviest of the living species in the barn owl family, however the Tasmanian subspecies of the Australian masked owl is larger still. The females' length is 41 to 50 cm (16 to 20 in) and weighs 750 to 1,200 g (1.65 to 2.65 lb). The smaller male has a length of 37 to 43 cm (15 to 17 in) and weighs 500 to 700 g (1.1 to 1.5 lb). The wing length is 30–40 cm. The large dark eyes are set in a round large facial disk.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Zara · CC BY 4.0
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: Sooty Owl and Western Barn Owl.