Best Tytonidae

The Sooty Owl is a nocturnal bird of prey belonging to the genus *Tyto*. It’s notable for its distinctive dark plumage found across eastern Australia and New Guinea. Primarily a forest dweller, this owl utilizes its exceptional hearing and vision to hunt small mammals and invertebrates. It is partic...

The Madagascar Red Owl is a distinctive barn owl species found exclusively on the island of Madagascar. Its striking reddish-orange feathers differentiate it from other owl types and make it a notable example of avian endemism. Primarily inhabiting dense rainforests, this rare bird is studied by orn...

The Sri Lanka Bay Owl is a small owl belonging to the genus *Tyto* found exclusively in the island nation of Sri Lanka. It’s notable as one of the rarest owls globally and a key indicator species for forest conservation efforts. Primarily nocturnal, it inhabits dense, primary forests where it hunts...

The Masked Owl, *Tyto novaehollandiae*, is a substantial nocturnal bird of prey native to Australia’s forests and woodlands. It represents one of the largest species within the Tytonidae family, exhibiting significant size differences between males and females. Primarily hunting rodents, this owl pl...

The American Barn Owl is a nocturnal bird of prey native to grasslands and open country throughout North and South America. Its distinctive heart-shaped face helps funnel sound towards its ears, enhancing its ability to locate small rodents. Primarily a grassland species, it’s commonly used in ecolo...

The Eastern Barn Owl is a nocturnal owl species found across Asia and Australasia. It’s notable for its pale plumage and specialized hunting behavior in open country habitats. Primarily used for research and conservation efforts, it's of interest to ornithologists studying barn owl populations and t...

The Congo Bay Owl (Phodilus prigoginei) is a rare and poorly known barn owl in the family Tytonidae, native to the montane forests of the Albertine Rift in Central Africa. It is known from very few specimens, most of them collected in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and there is limite...

The Golden Masked Owl is a nocturnal raptor belonging to the barn owl family, endemic to the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea. It is noted for its distinct golden-rust facial plumage and overall buff-colored appearance. The species inhabits tropical lowland forests where it hunts small mamm...

The greater sooty owl is a dark-plumaged barn owl native to eastern and southeastern Australia, with related populations in New Guinea sometimes treated separately. It inhabits wet forests and rainforest, roosting in tree hollows, caves, or dense vegetation during the day. Its charcoal upperparts ar...

The Lesser Sooty Owl (Tyto multipunctata) is a medium-sized barn owl strictly endemic to the wet tropical rainforests of northeastern Queensland, Australia. It is characterized by its distinctive heart-shaped facial disk, heavily spotted dark grey upperparts, and silver-grey underparts. This nocturn...

The Australian Masked Owl (Tyto novaehollandiae) is a medium-to-large owl species in the family Tytonidae, native to mainland Australia and southern New Guinea. It belongs to the genus Tyto, which also includes the widespread Barn Owl (Tyto alba). The species exhibits the characteristic heart-shaped...

The Seram Masked Owl is a barn owl species endemic to the Indonesian island of Seram, notable for being scientifically described as recently as 2012.

The Moluccan Masked Owl is a distinct species of barn owl endemic to the southern Moluccas islands of Indonesia, where it is notoriously difficult to observe in the wild.

The African Grass Owl is a cryptic raptor native to sub-Saharan Africa, distinguished by its habit of nesting on the ground in tall grasslands rather than in trees or buildings.

The Eastern Grass Owl is a nocturnal bird of prey distributed across parts of Asia and Australia, specifically adapted to hunt rodents in open grasslands and agricultural fields.

Endemic to India's Andaman Islands, the Andaman Masked Owl is a rarely seen, dark-eyed subspecies of barn owl that inhabits dense tropical lowland forests and grasslands.

Endemic to Sulawesi in Indonesia, the Sulawesi Masked Owl is a medium-sized raptor with a pale facial disk that frequently roosts in caves, tree hollows, and rural buildings.

The Minahassa Masked Owl is a little-known barn owl endemic to the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, where it resides in lowland forests and agricultural areas of the north.

The Manus Masked Owl is a rare and enigmatic barn owl species endemic to Manus Island in Papua New Guinea, primarily identified through a limited number of historical specimens.

The Taliabu Masked Owl is a poorly documented nocturnal bird of prey restricted to the Sula Islands in Indonesia, notable for its isolated island evolution and spotted plumage.

Inhabiting the Maluku and Tanimbar region of Indonesia, the Lesser Masked Owl is a small, elusive raptor adapted to tropical lowland forests and coastal vegetation.

The Ashy-faced Owl is a barn owl species endemic to the Caribbean islands of Hispaniola and Tortuga, distinguished by its gray facial disk and darker underparts than its relatives.