Snowy owl vs Western barn owl
They share the order Strigiformes but sit in different families: Snowy owl in Strigidae, Western barn owl in Tytonidae.
Photo: Bill Bouton from San Luis Obispo, CA, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: User:Alun Williams333 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
What is the difference between a snowy owl and a western barn owl?
Each point below is worked out from a pair of recorded values.
- They share the order Strigiformes but sit in different families: Snowy owl in Strigidae, Western barn owl in Tytonidae.
- The snowy owl is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List; the western barn owl is Least Concern.
- They have been recorded in 29 of the same countries (the snowy owl in 38 in total, the western barn owl in 181). Shared records include zoos, so this does not mean they meet in the wild.
Side by side
| Snowy owl | Western barn owl | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Bubo scandiacus | Tyto alba |
| Family | Strigidae | Tytonidae |
| Order | Strigiformes | Strigiformes |
| Weight | Not recorded | 580 g |
| Length | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | Not recorded | 4 years |
| Main food | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Countries recorded | 38 | 181 |
Full record: Snowy owlFull record: Western barn owlCompare other animals