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Tytonidae - Barn Owls, Masked Owls, Grass Owls

 

Classification

 Kingdom: Animalia 
 Phylum: Chordata
 Class: Aves
 Order: Strigiformes
 Family: Tytonidae

Barn OwlThere are 16 species of owl in this family. They are found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica. They live in a variety of habitats including forests, grasslands, and deserts.

The owls in this family have heart-shaped faces; long, flattened bills; long wings; long, rounded tails; and long legs with powerful talons. Their eyes are smaller than the eyes of the owls in the Strigidae family.

The barn owl is the only species in this family found in the United States. The ashy-faced owl, which was once though to be a barn owl subspecies, is found in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

galleryTytonidae Photo Gallery

World Status Key
Least ConcernLeast Concern Near ThreatenedNear Threatened VulnerableVulnerable EndangeredEndangered Critically EndangeredCritically Endangered extinct in the wildExtinct in Wild extinctExtinct Not Enough DataNot Enough Data
Status and range is taken from ICUN Redlist.

U.S. Status Key
Threatened in US Threatened in US Endangered in US Endangered in US
Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife Click on U.S. status icon to go to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife species profile.
 

New Hampshire Status Key
Threatened in New Hampshire Threatened in NH Endangered in NH Endangered in NH Introduced Introduced
Status taken from NH Fish and Game

Location Key
Africa Africa Asia Asia Australia Australia/Oceania Europe Europe North America North America South America South America New Hampshire Species NH More Info Click for More Info picture Click for Image

  New Hampshire Species

 

   North/Central American Species

None   Barn Owl -  Tyto alba   Least Concern Africa Asia Australia Europe North America South America image More Info
Ashy-faced Owl -  Tyto glaucops Least Concern North America image More Info

  Other Species Around the World

Sri Lanka Bay-owl - Phodilus assimilis Least Concern Asia image More Info
Oriental Bay-owl - Phodilus badius Least Concern Asia More Info
Congo Bay-owl - Phodilus prigoginei   Endangered Africa More Info
Seram Masked-owl - Tyto Almae Not Enough Data Asia More Info
Golden Masked-owl - Tyto aurantia Vulnerable Australia More Info
African Grass-owl - Tyto capensis   Least Concern Africa image More Info
Minahasa Golden Owl - Tyto inexspectata   Vulnerable Asia More Info

  Eastern Grass-owl -  Tyto longimembris   Least Concern Asia Australia More Info
Lesser Sooty Owl - Tyto multipunctata Least Concern Asia Australia image More Info
Taliabu Masked-owl -  Tyto nigrobrunnea   Vulnerable Asia More Info
Australian Masked-owl - Tyto novaehollandiae Least Concern Asia Australia More Info
Sulawesi Masked-owl - Tyto rosenbergii   Least Concern Asia image More Info
Madagascar Red Owl - Tyto soumagnei   Vulnerable Africa More Info
Greater Sooty Owl -  Tyto tenebricosa   Least Concern Asia Australia image More Info

  Additional Information

Key: profile Profile Photos Photos Video Video Audio Audio

Barn Owl -  Tyto alba profile Photos Audio   Least Concern Africa Asia Australia Europe North America South America
The barn owl is found from British Columbia , North Dakota, Michigan, and southern New England south to South America. It is also found in Europe, Africa, Australia, and Asia.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No

Barn Owl -  Tyto alba profile Photos   Least Concern Africa Asia Australia Europe North America South America
Most of the barn owl's diet is made up of rodents, especially voles.
Source: National Audubon Society Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No

Barn Owl -  Tyto alba profile Photos Audio   Least Concern Africa Asia Australia Europe North America South America
Barn owls are nocturnal.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No

Barn Owl -  Tyto alba profile Photos Audio   Least Concern Africa Asia Australia Europe North America South America
Barn owls are nocturnal.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No

Barn Owl -  Tyto alba profile Photos Video   Least Concern Africa Asia Australia Europe North America South America
Barn owls do not hoot.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes

Ashy-faced Owl -  Tyto glaucops profile Photos Audio Least Concern North America
The ashy-face owl is found in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Neotropical Birds Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No

Ashy-faced Owl -  Tyto glaucops profile Photos Video Audio Least Concern North America
The ashy-face owl preys on small mammals and birds. It also eats reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates.
Source: HBW Alive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No

Sri Lanka Bay-owl - Phodilus assimilis profile Photos Video Least Concern Asia
The Sri Lanka bay-owl is found in India and Sri Lanka.
Source: HBW Alive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No

Oriental Bay-owl - Phodilus badius profile Photos Video Audio Least Concern Asia
The oriental bay-owl is found in Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Source: HBW Alive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No

Oriental Bay-owl - Phodilus badius profile Photos Video Least Concern Asia
The oriental bay-owl has long, feathered legs.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes

Congo Bay-owl - Phodilus prigoginei profile Photos   Endangered Africa
The Congo bay-owl is found in The Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Source: HBW Alive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No

Congo Bay-owl - Phodilus prigoginei Photos  Endangered Africa
The Congo bay-owl is also known as the African bay-owl.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes

Seram Masked-owl - Tyto Almae profile Not Enough Data Asia
The Seram bay-owl is found in Indonesia.
Source: HBW Alive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No

Golden Masked-owl - Tyto aurantia profile Photos Video Vulnerable Australia
The golden masked-owl is found in Indonesia.
Source: HBW Alive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No

African Grass-owl - Tyto capensis profile Photos Video  Least Concern Africa
The African grass-owl is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Source: HBW Alive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No

African Grass-owl - Tyto capensis profile  Least Concern Africa
The African grass-owl is usually found near bodies of water and unlike most owls, roosts on the ground in tall grass.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No

Minahasa Golden Owl - Tyto inexspectata profile Photos Video  Vulnerable Asia
The Minahasa golden owl is found in Indonesia.
Source: HBW Alive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No

Eastern Grass-owl -  Tyto longimembris profile Photos Video  Least Concern Asia Australia
The eastern grass owl is found in Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Source: HBW Alive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No

Eastern Grass-owl -  Tyto longimembris profile Photos Video Audio   Least Concern Asia Australia
The eastern grass owl is found in habitats with tall grass.
Source: NSW Office of Environment & Heritage Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No

Lesser Sooty Owl - Tyto multipunctata profile Photos Video Audio Least Concern Asia Australia
The lesser sooty owl is found in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea.
Source: HBW Alive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No

Taliabu Masked-owl - Tyto nigrobrunnea profile Photos  Vulnerable Asia
The Taliabu masked-owl is found in Indonesia.
Source: HBW Alive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No

Australian Masked-owl - Tyto novaehollandiae profile Photos Video Audio Least Concern Asia Australia
The Australian Masked-owl is found in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea.
Source: HBW Alive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No

Australian Masked-owl - Tyto novaehollandiae profile Photos Audio Least Concern Asia Australia
The Australian Masked-owl is found is usually found in forests or forest edges.
Source: NSW Office of Environment & Heritage Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No

Sulawesi Masked-owl - Tyto rosenbergii profile Photos Audio  Least Concern Asia
The Sulawesi masked-owl is found in Indonesia.
Source: HBW Alive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No

Madagascar Red Owl - Tyto soumagnei profile Photos  Vulnerable Africa
The Madagascar red owl is found in Madagascar.
Source: HBW Alive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No

Madagascar Red Owl - Tyto soumagnei profile Photos  Vulnerable Africa
The Madagascar red owl's call sounds like a hiss.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes

Madagascar Red Owl - Tyto soumagnei profile  Vulnerable Africa
The Madagascar red owl is nocturnal.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No

Greater Sooty Owl -  Tyto tenebricosa profile Photos Audio   Least Concern Asia Australia
The greater sooty owl is found in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea.
Source: HBW Alive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No

Greater Sooty Owl -  Tyto tenebricosa profile Photos   Least Concern Asia Australia
The greater sooty owl is nocturnal.
Source: NSW Office of Environment & Heritage Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No