Barn Owls are members of the Tytonidae family of owls. These owls have a heart-shaped facial disk, an elongated, compressed bill, and proportionately smaller eyes than Strigidae owls. They have long legs, and their inner toe, which is as long as the middle one, has a pectinate claw. There are currently two species recognized by eBird, with possibility of a total of 5 depending on the outcome of further studies.  In 2024, ornithologists split the Barn Owl species into three distinct species:

• American Barn Owl: Found in the Americas, including North and South America, and Hawaii

• Eastern Barn Owl: Found from South Asia to Australia

• Western Barn Owl: Found in Europe, Africa, and western Asia 

The split was based on a 2018 molecular phylogenetic study that compared DNA sequences. However, some taxonomic authorities, like the Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, have not adopted the split.

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