Barn Owl vs Common Ostrich
Tyto alba compared with Struthio camelus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Barn Owl | Common Ostrich |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Tyto alba | Struthio camelus |
| Order | Strigiformes | Struthioniformes |
| Family | Tytonidae | Struthionidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 35.0 cm (13.8 in) | 210.0 cm (82.7 in) |
| Wingspan | 90.0 cm (35.4 in) | 200.0 cm (78.7 in) |
| Weight | 350.0 g (12.35 oz) | 100000.0 g (3527.40 oz) |
| Diet | Almost exclusively small mammals, especially voles and mice. Hunts using extraordinary hearing to locate prey … | Omnivorous — plants, seeds, roots, flowers, insects, and small vertebrates. Swallows pebbles to aid digestion … |
| Clutch Size | 2-16 | 2-11 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Barn Owl only
Common Ostrich only
Barn Owl
Open farmland, grasslands, and marshes. Nests in barns, church steeples, tree cavities, and purpose-built nest boxes.
Common Ostrich
Open arid and semi-arid habitats including savannas, Sahel, and dry woodlands across Africa.
Song & Call Comparison
Barn Owl
An eerie, drawn-out rasping shriek 'shreeeeee' — not a hoot. Also gives hissing, snoring, and bill-snapping when disturbed. Chicks call with a persistent rasping hunger call.
Common Ostrich
Male produces a surprisingly deep, resonant booming roar — remarkably lion-like. Also gives whistling and hissing sounds. Females and chicks emit softer grunts and squeaks.
Geographic Range & Migration
Barn Owl
The most widespread owl and one of the most widespread land birds, found on every continent except Antarctica.
Common Ostrich
Sub-Saharan Africa. Formerly also found in the Middle East and parts of Asia. Farmed worldwide.
Conservation Status
Barn Owl
Common Ostrich
How to Tell Them Apart
Barn Owl
Pale golden-buff upperparts with delicate grey mottling. Pure white heart-shaped face and white to pale buff underparts. Ghostly white appearance in flight.
Pale pinkish hooked bill nearly concealed by the facial disc
Common Ostrich
Males have black body plumage with white wing and tail feathers. Females and immatures are grey-brown. Bare skin on the neck and thighs varies from pink to blue.
Broad, flat bill adapted for an omnivorous diet
About These Birds
Barn Owl
The barn owl has the most asymmetrical ears of any owl, giving it the finest auditory localization ability in the animal kingdom. It can catch prey in complete darkness using sound alone. The barn owl's distinctive heart-shaped face acts as a parabolic dish, funneling sound to its offset ears.
Common Ostrich
The common ostrich is the world's largest living bird, standing up to 2.7 meters tall and weighing up to 145 kg. Despite being flightless, it is the fastest bird on land, sprinting at speeds up to 70 km/h. Ostrich eggs are the largest of any living bird, weighing about 1.4 kg each.