Species Comparisons • Backyard Identification
Barn Owl vs Great Horned Owl
Barn Owl
Barn Owl • Wikimedia Commons
Barn Owl
Barn Owl • Wikimedia Commons
Barn Owl
Barn Owl • Wikimedia Commons
Barn Owl
Barn Owl • Wikimedia Commons
Great Horned Owl
Great Horned Owl • Wikimedia Commons
Great Horned Owl
Great Horned Owl • Wikimedia Commons
Great Horned Owl
Great Horned Owl • Wikimedia Commons
Great Horned Owl
Great Horned Owl • Wikimedia Commons
Barn Owl vs Great Horned Owl (Tyto alba vs Bubo virginianus): The Complete Backyard Identification Guide
Field Summary
Quick Answer: The Fastest Way to Tell Them Apart
The ghost and the tiger of the night. Three rules:
- Head silhouette: smooth, round, tuftless with a heart-shaped face = Barn Owl; great ear tufts (“horns”) on a massive head = Great Horned Owl.
- Plumage: golden-buff above, ghost-white below = Barn Owl; mottled gray-brown with a white throat bib = Great Horned.
- Voice: raspy screech = Barn Owl; deep, booming “hoo-hoo hooooo hoo-hoo” = Great Horned.
At-a-Glance Comparison Table
Ghost vs tiger, side by side. KEY rows separate fastest.
| Feature | Barn Owl | Great Horned Owl |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Tyto alba | Bubo virginianus |
| Length KEY | 16 in (41 cm) | 22 in (56 cm) |
| Wingspan | 42 in (107 cm) | 44–48 in (112–122 cm) |
| Weight KEY | 1.1 lb (500 g) | 3.1 lb (1400 g) |
| Overall Shape | Medium owl with a white heart-shaped face and long legs; no ear tufts | Huge owl with great ear tufts (“horns”) and yellow eyes |
| Male Plumage KEY | Golden-buff above, ghostly white below, with a white heart-shaped face and dark eyes (sexes alike) | Mottled gray-brown with large ear tufts, glaring yellow eyes and a white throat bib (sexes alike) |
| Female Plumage | Like the male, often more heavily spotted below | Identical to the male, averaging larger |
| Bill Shape | Small, pale, hidden in facial feathers | Black, hooked |
| Tail | Short, buff-barred | Short, barred |
| Core Range | Nearly worldwide — open farmland, grassland and towns across most of the US | All of the Americas — every habitat from desert to city park |
| Migration | Non-migratory resident | Non-migratory resident |
| Feeder Presence | Never visits feeders; hunts mice and voles over open ground at night | Never visits feeders; hunts rabbits, skunks and even other raptors at night |
| Favorite Foods | Rodents — mice, voles, rats — caught by sound in total darkness | Mammals up to rabbit and skunk size, birds, reptiles |
| Song KEY | No hoot at all — a raspy, drawn-out screech “shreee” | Deep, booming “hoo-hoo hooooo hoo-hoo” hoots |
| Flight Call | Raspy screeches and hisses; nestlings snore | Deep hoots; young scream a harsh “sheeeek” |
| Population Trend | Stable where nesting cavities and open hunting ground remain | Stable — the most widespread large owl in the Americas |
Male Field Marks, Side by Side
Barn Owl — Male
Tyto alba
- White heart-shaped face — unmistakable.
- Golden-buff above, ghost-white below; long legs.
- Hunts open fields at night; nests in barns and boxes.
Great Horned Owl — Male
Bubo virginianus
- Great ear tufts and glaring yellow eyes.
- White throat bib flashes when it hoots.
- The deep hoots of winter nights, everywhere.
Female & Juvenile Marks, Side by Side
Barn Owl — Female
Tyto alba
- Like the male, more heavily spotted below.
- Nests in barn lofts, silos and large nest boxes.
- Hunts entirely by sound in darkness.
Great Horned Owl — Female
Bubo virginianus
- Identical plumage, larger than the male.
- Uses old hawk and crow nests — nests in mid-winter.
- Fiercely defends nestlings in early spring.
Part-by-Part Anatomy Breakdown
Every measurement doubles or halves — these are different leagues:
| Body Part | Barn Owl | Great Horned Owl |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 16 in, 1.1 lb | 22 in, 3.1 lb — three times heavier |
| Ear Tufts | None | Great tufts — the “horns” |
| Face | White heart-shape, dark eyes | Mottled disc, glaring yellow eyes |
| Plumage | Golden-buff and ghost-white | Mottled gray-brown, white throat bib |
| Voice | Raspy screech | Deep booming hoots |
| Prey | Mice and voles | Rabbits, skunks, other raptors |
| Nest | Barn lofts, boxes, cavities | Old hawk and crow nests, cliff ledges |
Song & Call Comparison
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
Voice: a raspy, drawn-out screech shreee — never a hoot.
At the nest: hisses, clicks and the famous nestling “snore”.
Barn Owl voice • Wikimedia Commons
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Song: deep, booming hoo-hoo hooooo hoo-hoo.
Calls: screams, barks and hisses near the nest.
Great Horned Owl voice • Wikimedia Commons
Range & Seasonal Presence
The Barn Owl hunts open country across most of the US — farmland, grassland, town edges.
The Great Horned Owl lives everywhere in the Americas — desert, forest, tundra edge and city park. It is the most widespread large owl on the continent, and it is the Barn Owl’s occasional predator as well as its neighbor.
Feeder Behavior & Favorite Foods
- Neither visits feeders — both hunt live prey.
- Barn Owl: nest boxes over open hunting country; thousands of rodents taken per family each year.
- Great Horned Owl: big wooded lots host hunting visits; it nests in midwinter in old hawk nests — listen for hooting duets in December and January.
- Caution: Great Horneds take skunks, rabbits and occasionally small pets at night — keep small animals indoors; never use rodent poison.
Temperament & Flock Behavior
Barn Owls are silent specialists, ghosting over fields and shrieking when cornered at the roost.
Great Horned Owls are fearless generalists — the “tiger of the air”, willing to hunt almost anything and to defend a nest against humans in late winter.
6-Step Backyard ID Checklist
- Ear tufts. Present = Great Horned; absent = Barn.
- Face. White heart-shape = Barn; mottled disc with yellow eyes = Great Horned.
- Size. 16 in and light = Barn; 22 in and massive = Great Horned.
- Voice. Screech = Barn; deep hoots = Great Horned.
- Plumage tone. Golden and white = Barn; mottled gray-brown = Great Horned.
- Throat. Plain = Barn; white bib flashing during hoots = Great Horned.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you tell a Barn Owl from a Great Horned Owl?
The Barn Owl is smaller and ghost-pale with a white heart-shaped face, dark eyes and no ear tufts. The Great Horned Owl is huge and mottled gray-brown with great ear tufts, yellow eyes and deep hoots.
Which owl has the “horns”?
The Great Horned Owl — the horns are feather tufts, not ears. The Barn Owl’s head is smooth and round.
Do Great Horned Owls hoot all year?
They hoot most intensely in December and January during courtship — they nest in midwinter, using old hawk and crow nests. Barn Owls screech instead, mostly near the roost.
Are Great Horned Owls a threat to pets?
They are powerful enough to take rabbits and skunks, and very small pets left out at night are at some risk. Barn Owls, at a third of the weight, hunt only rodents and are no threat to pets.
Do Barn Owls and Great Horned Owls compete?
They share hunting grounds, and the much larger Great Horned occasionally preys on Barn Owls. Barn Owls avoid trouble by hunting open fields and roosting deep inside structures.
Can I attract either owl to my yard?
Barn Owls: a large nest box over open hunting ground. Great Horneds: big trees and old hawk nests nearby — you cannot feed them, but a quiet, poison-free, rodent-rich yard invites hunting visits.
Key Takeaways
- Tufts: Ear tufts = Great Horned; smooth head = Barn.
- Face: White heart = Barn; yellow-eyed disc = Great Horned.
- Size: Three times heavier = Great Horned.
- Voice: Screech = Barn; booming hoots = Great Horned.
- Prey: Rodents = Barn; rabbits and skunks = Great Horned.
- Nest Season: Midwinter hooting duets = Great Horned.