Barn Owl vs Barn Swallow
Tyto alba comparé à Hirundo rustica
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | Barn Owl | Barn Swallow |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Tyto alba | Hirundo rustica |
| Ordre | Strigiformes | Passeriformes |
| Famille | Tytonidae | Hirundinidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longueur | 35,0 cm (13.8 in) | 19,0 cm (7.5 in) |
| Envergure | 90,0 cm (35.4 in) | 33,0 cm (13.0 in) |
| Poids | 350,0 g (12.35 oz) | 19,0 g (0.67 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Almost exclusively small mammals, especially voles and mice. Hunts using extraordinary hearing to locate prey … | Aerial insects caught in continuous agile flight, including flies, beetles, moths, and aphids. Drinks by … |
| Taille de la couvée | 2-16 | 2-7 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Habitats partagés
Barn Owl only
Barn Swallow only
Aucun(e)
Barn Owl
Open farmland, grasslands, and marshes. Nests in barns, church steeples, tree cavities, and purpose-built nest boxes.
Barn Swallow
Open farmland, meadows, and areas near water. Nests almost exclusively in human-made structures such as barns, bridges, and eaves.
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.
Barn Swallow
A rapid, twittering song: a long stream of 'vit-vit-vit' and rolling chirps. Also gives a sharp 'vit' flight call. Song can last many minutes without pause. Musical and liquid.
Geographic Range & Migration
Barn Owl
The most widespread owl and one of the most widespread land birds, found on every continent except Antarctica.
Barn Swallow
Breeds across the Northern Hemisphere in North America, Europe, and Asia. Winters in South America, Africa, and South Asia.
Statut de conservation
Barn Owl
Barn Swallow
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
Barn Swallow
Metallic blue-black upperparts, rufous forehead and throat, and pale buff to rufous underparts. Deeply forked tail with elongated outer streamers.
Short, wide, flat black bill adapted for catching insects in flight
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.
Barn Swallow
The barn swallow is the most widespread swallow species in the world and has one of the longest migrations of any passerine. Its arrival signals spring across the Northern Hemisphere, inspiring cultural references from ancient Greece to modern poetry. Barn swallows have become almost entirely dependent on human structures for nesting.