Tyto alba

Beautiful!

Birding today at Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge (in the California central valley), we had extraordinary luck in the realm of owls. Within 1 minute, 2 different species made themselves known by flushing from a lonely stand of trees: first the Great-Horned Owl, then the Barn Owl. The first disappeared as quickly as it arrived, but the Barn Owl put up with us for some time, flying around and around its disturbed roost and offering many photographic opportunities.

Tyto alba spans the globe as the most widespread species of owl. It belongs to Tytonidae (the barn owls) while the Great-Horned Owl belongs to Strigidae (the typical owls). The heart shaped face of the barn owls is usually cited as the most prominent identifying feature.