The barn owls, owls in the genus Tyto, are the most widely distributed genus of 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:
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The whole family Tytonidae, though this also includes the bay owls in the genus Phodilus
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Tyto, the largest genus of birds in Tytonidae, and particularly these species in that genus:
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Three species that are sometimes considered to be a single species known as barn owl or common barn owl:
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Western barn owl Tyto alba, from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East
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American barn owl Tyto furcata, from the Americas
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Eastern barn owl Tyto javanica, from southeast Asia and Australasia
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Andaman masked owl Tyto deroepstorffi endemic to the southern Andaman Islands
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New Caledonian barn owl Tyto letocarti, extinct, from the island of New Caledonia in Melanesia
See also
