Barn Owl vs European Roller
Tyto alba compared with Coracias garrulus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Barn Owl | European Roller |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Tyto alba | Coracias garrulus |
| Order | Strigiformes | Coraciiformes |
| Family | Tytonidae | Coraciidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 35.0 cm (13.8 in) | 31.0 cm (12.2 in) |
| Wingspan | 90.0 cm (35.4 in) | 66.0 cm (26.0 in) |
| Weight | 350.0 g (12.35 oz) | 130.0 g (4.59 oz) |
| Diet | Almost exclusively small mammals, especially voles and mice. Hunts using extraordinary hearing to locate prey … | Large insects, especially beetles, grasshoppers, and crickets. Also takes small reptiles, frogs, and scorpions. Hunts … |
| Clutch Size | 2-16 | 3-6 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Barn Owl
Open farmland, grasslands, and marshes. Nests in barns, church steeples, tree cavities, and purpose-built nest boxes.
European Roller
Warm, dry, open country with scattered trees and nest holes. Breeds in tree cavities, earth banks, and nest boxes.
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.
European Roller
A harsh, grating 'rack-rack' or 'quarrk' in flight. Gives a variety of sharp nasal calls at the nest. Not melodic; primary vocalizations are alarm and contact calls.
Geographic Range & Migration
Barn Owl
The most widespread owl and one of the most widespread land birds, found on every continent except Antarctica.
European Roller
Southern and eastern Europe, Central Asia, and North Africa. Winters in sub-Saharan Africa.
Conservation Status
Barn Owl
European Roller
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
European Roller
Turquoise-blue head, breast, and tail. Chestnut-brown back. Vivid ultramarine blue and black wing patches visible in flight.
Short, stout, dark hooked bill
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.
European Roller
The European roller gets its name from the spectacular rolling and tumbling aerial displays performed by males during courtship. It is the only roller species in Europe and one of the continent's most colorful birds. Declining across much of its western range due to agricultural intensification and habitat loss.