# Barn Owl: Key Facts

> The barn owl is a pale, heart-faced bird of prey and one of the most widespread birds on Earth, found on every continent except Antarctica.

- **Species:** Barn Owl (*Tyto alba*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Carnivore
- **Habitat:** Open countryside, farmland, and grassland
- **Lifespan:** About 4 years in the wild
- **Top speed:** Around 50 km/h (30 mph)
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/barn-owl/how-do-owls-hunt-at-night/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/barn-owl/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The barn owl is a pale, heart-faced bird of prey and one of the most widespread birds on Earth, found on every continent except Antarctica. It hunts almost silently at night, using extraordinary hearing to pinpoint mice and voles in total darkness. Wild barn owls typically live around 4 years.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need the full biology — use the [Barn Owl profile](https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/barn-owl/) instead.

## Silent flight

Barn owls fly almost without a sound. The soft, comb-like leading edge of their feathers breaks up the air and muffles the noise of their wingbeats, so they can approach prey unheard and listen for the faintest rustle below as they hunt.

## Help protect the Barn Owl

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/barn-owl/how-do-owls-hunt-at-night/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.