American Barn Owl Photo Gallery
Adult
Medium-sized owl with a white heart-shaped face. Gray and cinnamon above and white below, although some have cinnamon colored and spotty chests.
© Sharif Uddin / Macaulay LibraryHawaii, April 19, 2019Adult
White heart-shaped face and dark eyes are distinctive.
© Carlos Echeverría / Macaulay LibraryPetén, June 10, 2016During hard winters, or in times of food shortages, American Barn Owls sometimes hunt during the day, often frequenting the same open country habitats used by Northern Harriers.
© Jerry Liguori / Macaulay LibraryUtah, December 11, 2014Not all videos have soundAdult (Galapagos)
The "Galapagos" subspecies group is white to golden-buff below, with small spots or fine brownish lines below.
© Claus Holzapfel / Macaulay LibraryGalápagos, January 11, 2019Adult (Lesser Antilles)
Birds in the "Lesser Antilles" subspecies group are dark overall and are sometimes treated as a separate species or as a subspecies of Ashy-faced Owl.
© Alan Van Norman / Macaulay LibrarySaint Paul, March 21, 2014Adult and immature
Pale owl with large, heart-shaped facial disk. Capable of rotating head extensively. This video has no audio.
© Larry Arbanas / Macaulay LibraryMay 01, 2005Not all videos have soundAdult
Long, rounded wings and short tails contribute to their loping and buoyant flight style.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryTexas, November 12, 2017Adult
Gray and cinnamon above with a white heart-shaped face. Females are often darker than males, but there is much overlap.
© Matt Davis / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, August 24, 2016Adult
Light underparts can make American Barn Owls look exceptionally pale in low light. Broad rounded wings give them a buoyant flight style.
© Larry Arbanas / Macaulay LibraryMay 01, 2005Not all videos have soundAdult
Nests in holes in trees, cliff ledges and crevices, caves, burrows in river banks, barn lofts, church steeples, houses, and nest boxes.
© Marlene Cashen / Macaulay LibraryWashington, June 03, 2012Adult
Nests and roosts in rock crevices, holes in trees, abandoned barns and other buildings, and dense trees.
© Carolyn Belknap / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, May 13, 2017Adult
Pale buffy-white underparts with darker spots. Active mainly at night; sleeps in well-hidden locations during daylight.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryTexas, May 01, 1998Not all videos have soundCompare with Similar Species
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