The barn owls, owls in the genus ''

Tyto ''Tyto'' is a genus of owls in the family Tytonidae. Depending on the species and the locality, common names include barn owl, common barn owl, grass owl, sooty owl, masked owl, field owl or simply owl. It is the most widely distributed genus o ...

'', are the most widely distributed genus of

owl 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 a ...

s in the world. They are medium-sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs with powerful talons. The term may be used to describe: *The whole family

Tytonidae The bird family Tytonidae, which includes the barn owls ''Tyto'' and the bay owls ''Phodilus'', is one of the two Family (biology), families of owls, the other being the true owls or typical owls, True owl, Strigidae. They are medium to large owl ...

, though this also includes the bay owls in the genus ''

Phodilus The bay owls (''Phodilus'') are a genus of Old World owls in the family Tytonidae. The defining characteristics of bay owls are their smaller bodies, in comparison to the barn owls ''Tyto'' in the same family, and their U- or V-shaped faces. The ...

'' **''

'', the largest genus of birds in Tytonidae, and particularly these species in that genus: ***Three species that are sometimes considered to be a single species known as barn owl or common barn owl: ****

Western barn owl The western barn owl (''Tyto alba'') is a species of Tyto, barn owl ''Tyto'' native to Europe, southwestern Asia, and Africa. It was formerly considered a subspecies group together with barn owls native to other parts of the world, but this clas ...

''Tyto alba'', from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East ****

American barn owl The American barn owl (''Tyto furcata'') is usually considered a subspecies group and together with the western barn owl group, the eastern barn owl group, and sometimes the Andaman masked owl, make up the Tyto, barn owl, cosmopolitan in range. ...

''Tyto furcata'', from the Americas ****

Eastern barn owl The eastern barn owl (''Tyto javanica'') is usually considered a subspecies group and together with the American barn owl group, the western barn owl group, and sometimes the Andaman masked owl make up the genus ''Tyto''. The cosmopolitan barn o ...

''Tyto javanica'', from southeast Asia and Australasia ***

Andaman masked owl The Andaman masked owl (''Tyto deroepstorffi'') is a barn owl endemic to the southern Andaman Islands archipelago of India, in the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean.Bruce, M.D., Christie, D.A., Kirwan, G.M. & Marks, J.S. (2017). Common Barn-owl (''Tyto ...

''Tyto deroepstorffi'' endemic to the southern Andaman Islands ***

New Caledonian barn owl The New Caledonian barn owl (''Tyto letocarti''), also referred to as Letocart's barn owl, is an extinct species of owl in the barn owl family. It was endemic to the island of New Caledonia in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific region. I ...

''Tyto letocarti'', extinct, from the island of New Caledonia in Melanesia

See also