American Barn Owl

American Barn Owl (Tyto furcata) is in the Barn Owls family (Tytonidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 10,975 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in July.

Seasonal pattern in the national data: year-round resident. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.

When to photograph American Barn Owl: observations by month (U.S.)

About American Barn Owl

The American barn owl (Tyto furcata) is usually considered a subspecies group and together with the western barn owl group, the eastern barn owl group, and sometimes the Andaman masked owl, make up the barn owl, cosmopolitan in range. The barn owl is recognized by most taxonomic authorities. A few (including the International Ornithologists' Union) separate them into distinct species, as is done here. The American barn owl is native to North and South America, andFrom Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

American Barn Owl by state

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Photography tips

• Use a fast shutter (1/2000 s or faster) for birds in flight.
• Focus on the eye and shoot at the bird's eye level.
• Approach slowly and stop if the bird changes behavior; never bait or flush birds.
• Morning activity peaks in the first two hours after sunrise.

FAQ