Western Barn Owl
Tyto alba
The Western Barn Owl (Tyto alba) is a common bay owls and barn owl found in 120 countries, weighing about 403 g. The western barn owl is a species of barn owl native to Europe, southwestern Asia, and Africa.
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.
How to identify it
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.
What the Western Barn Owl sounds like
Where it lives
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.
When to see it
The Western Barn Owl can be seen all year round, with peak activity in January. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Watch the Western Barn Owl on live cams
- Robert E Fuller: Fotherdale CamsThixendale, Yorkshire, England, UK · Streaming now
- Barn Owl 4K Cam, IsraelIsrael · Streaming now
- Beleef de Lente (Experience Spring)Netherlands · Returns March
Browse all 118 bird cams worldwide, live and seasonal, by region and species.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Western Barn Owl?
- The barn owl is a medium-sized, pale-coloured owl with long wings and a short, squarish tail. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Western Barn Owl?
- The Western Barn Owl is a large sized bird weighing about 403 g.
- Where can you see a Western Barn Owl?
- The Western Barn Owl occurs in 120 countries, including France, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Spain and Belgium.
- What does a Western Barn Owl sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Western Barn Owl on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Western Barn Owl?
- The Western Barn Owl is most easily confused with the American Barn Owl, the Eastern Barn Owl and the Sooty Owl.
Learn the Western Barn Owl for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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