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UrbanCavity nestLarge · 403 g
What the Western Barn Owl sounds like
ID tip
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.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
When to see the Western Barn Owl
One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is January, the month with the most records.
Where to see the Western Barn Owl
The map shades 102 countries with regular records, and 18 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.
Recorded as a rare visitor in United States, Norway, India, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Thailand, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Congo - Brazzaville, Guadeloupe, Latvia, North Macedonia, Wallis & Futuna.
About the Western Barn Owl
The western barn owl is a species of barn owl native to Europe, southwestern Asia, and Africa. It was formerly considered a subspecies group together with barn owls native to other parts of the world, but this classification was found to be paraphyletic with respect to some other members of the genus.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Easily confused with
American Barn OwlTyto furcataThe American barn owl is a medium-sized, pale-coloured owl with long wings and a short, squarish tail.
Eastern Barn OwlTyto javanicaThe Eastern barn owl is usually considered a subspecies group and together with the American barn owl group, the western barn owl group, and sometimes the Andaman masked owl make up the genus Tyto.
Sooty OwlTyto tenebricosaGreater sooty owls have a finely white spotted head with scattered white spots on the wings.
Side by side: American Barn Owl vs Western Barn Owl · Sooty Owl vs Western Barn Owl
Watch the Western Barn Owl on live cams
RETURNS MARCHBrowse all 118 bird cams worldwide, live and seasonal, by region and species.
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