{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "barn-owl",
  "name": "Barn Owl",
  "scientificName": "Tyto alba",
  "category": "Bird",
  "summary": "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.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Aves",
    "order": "Strigiformes",
    "family": "Tytonidae",
    "genus": "Tyto"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 0.5,
    "lengthM": 0.35,
    "topSpeedKmh": 50,
    "lifespanYears": 4
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Tyto alba"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Carnivore"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Open countryside, farmland, and grassland"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "About 4 years in the wild"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "250–500 g (9–18 oz)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Around 50 km/h (30 mph)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Found on every continent except Antarctica, one of the most widespread of all birds.",
    "continents": [
      "Europe",
      "Asia",
      "Africa",
      "North America",
      "South America",
      "Oceania"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Tyto alba.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Tyto%20alba&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Tyto alba. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Tyto_alba/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Wikipedia — Barn Owl.",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_barn_owl"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/barn-owl/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/barn-owl/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}