Free Teacher Resources
A barn owl with a white heart-shaped face perched on a post.
Photo: Steven Ward, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Barn Owl

Tyto alba

A pale owl with a white heart-shaped face, found on every continent except Antarctica, that hunts mice and voles by sound alone.

🦉 Owls
Checking teacher reviews…
Teacher? Sign in to review this page →Report a mistake

About the Barn Owl

Barn owls are found on every continent except Antarctica, in forests, grasslands, deserts, marshes and even cities. They got their name because they often nest in barns and other buildings. Their backs are light brown, golden or gray, and their heart-shaped face is usually bright white. They eat mostly voles, mice and rats. Barn owls screech instead of hooting.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Tyto alba[1]
Lifespan
2 to 5 years in the wild. Up to 15 in human care.[1]
Diet
Carnivore. Mostly voles, mice and rats, sometimes frogs, insects and fish.[1]
Habitat
Forests, grasslands, deserts, marshes and towns.[1]
Where it lives
Every continent except Antarctica.[1]
Group life
Nocturnal. Usually found in pairs.[1]
Babies
3 to 6 white eggs, incubated 30 to 34 days by the female.[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2016).[2]

Fun facts

  • Barn owls screech instead of hooting.[1]
  • A barn owl can find prey by hearing alone.[1]
  • Barn owls are one of the most widespread owls on Earth.[1]

Vocabulary

nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
owl pellet
A ball of bones, fur and feathers that an owl coughs up because it can't digest them.
facial disc
The flat, round face of an owl, which helps funnel sound to its ears.
asymmetrical
Not the same on both sides.
monogamous
Having one mate at a time, sometimes for life.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. “Barn Owl.” https://www.sfzoo.org/barn-owl/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Tyto alba (Common Barn-owl).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22688504/155542941 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

More Owls

A Eurasian eagle-owl with orange eyes and ear tufts perched on a snowy rock.Eurasian Eagle-OwlBubo buboOne of the world's largest owls, with orange eyes, tall ear tufts and a wingspan up to six feet.A brown milky eagle owl perched on rocks above water.Milky Eagle OwlBubo lacteusOne of the world's larger owls, also called Verreaux's eagle-owl, with bare pink eyelids that show when it blinks.A dark brown spectacled owl with white eyebrows and a buff chest perched on a branch.Spectacled OwlPulsatrix perspicillataThe largest tropical owl of the Americas, a brown owl with white "eyeglasses" around its yellow eyes.