American Barn Owl Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesAmerican Barn Owl
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 sound
Adult (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 sound
Adult
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 sound
Adult
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 sound
Similar SpeciesShort-eared Owl
Adult
Short-eared Owls are darker brown overall with more heavily streaked underparts than American Barn Owls. They are often more active during the day than American Barn Owls.
© Tim Lenz / Macaulay LibraryNevada, January 01, 2013Similar SpeciesSnowy Owl
Adult female/immature male
Snowy Owls are larger and whiter than American Barn Owls. Snowy Owls are active during the day and in most parts of North America are only seen during winter.
© Doug Hitchcox / Macaulay LibraryMaine, January 12, 2014Similar SpeciesBurrowing Owl
Adult
Burrowing Owls are smaller than American Barn Owls with longer legs. They hunt on or near the ground during the day when American Barn Owls are usually not active.
© Kirk Swenson / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, December 04, 2016Similar SpeciesLong-eared Owl
Adult
Long-eared Owls have an orange facial disc and long ear tufts while AmericanBarn Owls have a white facial disc and no ear tufts.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCaliforniaRotate Your Device to Better Compare
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