Western Barn Owl
Tyto alba
Barn-Owls (Tytonidae) · Strigiformes (Strigiformes)
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Often mixed up with
In quizzes, players most often confuse Western Barn Owl with these birds— either this species was picked by mistake, or the other way around.
| Species | Mix-ups |
|---|---|
| Little Owl Athene noctua | 3 |
| American Barn Owl Tyto furcata | 1 |
| Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus | 1 |
| Tawny Owl Strix aluco | 1 |
| Long-eared Owl Asio otus | 1 |
Family
The bird family Tytonidae, which includes the barn owls Tyto and the bay owls Phodilus, is one of the two families of owls, the other being the true owls or typical owls, Strigidae. Tytonidae are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs with powerful talons.
Order
Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers adapted for silent flight. Exceptions include the diurnal northern hawk-owl and the gregarious burrowing owl. Owls are divided into two families: the true (or typical) owl family, Strigidae, and the barn owl and bay owl family, Tytonidae.