I was curious to know how big barn owls are actually. So I went on a rabbit hole journey about barn owls and I searched every possible thing about them.
And here in this article, I’ve discussed their size. I’ve covered all the aspects related to it and also compare it with other owls.
So without further ado, let’s get into it.
Barn Owl Height/Length
The barn owl is the most extensively distributed owl species in the world, with the exception of the arctic and arid regions, most of Indonesia, Asia north of the Himalayas, and several Pacific Islands.
The barn owl is a striking and well-loved countryside bird, a buff back and wings, with a heart-shaped face, and pure white underparts.
In addition to their appearance, another important aspect to consider is their height/length.
Like most other birds the Barn Owl also experiences gender dimorphism. The male and female barn owls have comparable plumage, however, females are much bigger and darker and so are more easily spotted than males.
On average, Barn Owl height ranges between 32-40 cm (13-16 in). The female Barn Owl measures 34-40 cm (13.4-15.7 inches) in length and the males are 32-38 cm (12.6-15.0 inches) long.
| Height/Length in Cm | Height/Length in Inches | |
| Barn Owl Female | 32-40 | 13-16 |
| Barn Owl Male | 34-40 | 13.4-15.7 |
Barn Owl Weight
While we have discussed the length of the Barn Owl, it is also essential to know the weight of the bird in order to compare it with other birds. Generally, it is observed that female Barn Owls tend to be larger than male barn owls.
Females are bigger and weigh roughly 570 grams (1.2lb), whilst males are around 470 grams (1lb). Compared to other predator birds, Barn Owls are much smaller in size and would weigh less if you hold them in your hands.
| Weight In Gram & lb | |
| Barn Owl Male | 470 (1lb) |
| Barn Owl Female | 570 (1.3lb) |
Barn Owl Wingspan
I feel that one of the most fascinating measurements taken by scientists and researchers is the wingspan of birds. The wingspan of a bird is measured from one tip of the wing to the other tip of the wing.
On average, Barn Owl’s wingspan ranges from 80 to 95 cm (31 to 37 in).
| Wingspan in Cm | Wingspan in Inches | |
| Barn Owl | 80 to 95 | 31 to 37 |
Barn Owl Egg Size
Barn owls, in particular, prefer to live in open environments like agricultural fields, grasslands, and marshes. Additionally, Barn Owls have usually seen nesting in hollow trees or structures where there is little human interaction.
Talking about the nesting of Barn Owls, they do not build nests and instead live in the abandoned nests of other birds.
Barn owls lay their eggs between the months of March and August. Moreover, they only reproduce once a year and lay around 4 to 6 eggs every brood.
The length of their eggs is around 1.5-1.7 in (3.9-4.4 cm) and the egg width is 1.2-1.3 in (3.1-3.4 cm).
What Is The Average And Biggest Size Of A Barn Owl?
Every species can vary in different ways, for example, a part of the population might be smaller or bigger in terms of height than the rest.
Similarly, in the case of Barn Owls, they don’t have a fixed size, their length or height varies depending on multiple factors. For example, some Barn Owls may get better nutrition than others resulting in them being fitter and bigger in size.
The average size of the Barn Owl represents the entire population of that type of owl. The average size of a Barn Owl is around 25cm. The maximum size which is the height or the length of the bird would be up to 40 cm.
Barn Owl Vs Barred Owl Size Comparison
There are several types of owls having different features and sizes. One species of owl other than the Barn Owl is the Barred Owl.
Generally Barred Owls are larger than Barn Owls, with a weight and length difference of 10-20 ounces and 9-18 inches respectively.
Barred owls range in length from 18 to 20 inches, weigh 1-2 pounds, and have a wingspan of up to 43 inches.
Overall there is no great difference in the sizes, but still, the average height, weight, and wingspan are larger than that of the average Barn Owl.
| Birds | Barn Owl | Barred owl |
| Height | 32-40 cm (13-16 in) | 40 to 63 cm (16 to 25 in) |
| Weight | 470-570 g (1-1.3lb) | 468 to 1,150 g (1-2.5 lb) |
| Wingspan | 80 to 95 cm (31 to 37”) | 96 to 125 cm (38 to 49 in) |
Barn Owl Vs Snowy Owl Size Comparison
Another type of owl that is very fascinating to look at is the Snowy Owl. While there is a great difference in the way each of these types of owls looks, they also vary depending on their height, weight, and wingspan.
Snowy Owls are comparatively larger than Barn Owls. Interestingly the Snowy Owl is one of the heaviest owl species across North America, with a weight between 40 and 70 ounces.
Furthermore, Snowy owls may grow to be 27 inches tall and have a wingspan of 49 to 51 inches. Overall the Snowy Owls are heavier and larger than the Barn Owls.
| Birds | Barn Owl | Snowy Owl |
| Height | 32-40 cm (13-16 in) | 52.5 to 64 cm (20.7 to 25.2 in) |
| Weight | 470-570 g (1-1.3lb) | 468 to 1,150 g (1-2.5 lb) |
| Wingspan | 80 to 95 cm (31 to 37”) | 116 to 165.6 cm (37.2 in to 66 in) |
Barn Owl Vs Great Horned Owl Size Comparison
The Great Horned Owl as the name suggests is great in size. It is one of the largest owl species, with a height of 19 to 35 inches tall, a weight of 1.4 kg, and a wingspan of 4.6 feet.
Additionally, similar to the Barn Owl, female Great Horned Owls are greater in size and weight than their male counterparts.
Great horned owls are due to their large size and very fierce predators who have great grip and eyes on their prey.
| Birds | Barn Owl | Great Horned Owl |
| Height | 32-40 cm (13-16 in) | 46 – 64 cm (19 to 35 in) |
| Weight | 470-570 g (1-1.3lb) | 1.2 kg (2.698 lb)-1.6kg (3.545 lb) |
| Wingspan | 80 to 95 cm (31 to 37”) | 91 to 153 cm (35 in to 60 in) |
Barn Owl Size Comparison To Human
Now that we have looked at the details of a Barn Owl, we can use the information to compare it with other species.
The differences in the parameters such as the height, weight, and wingspan of similar species would be somewhat close. However, when we compare one species with another species, we expect the differences to be large.
So, when a Barn Owl is compared with a human species the height difference is very large. The average height of a Barn Owl is 25cm which is 0.82 feet. However, the average human size is about 5.5 to 5.9 feet. The size difference in terms of height between the two species is insane!
Additionally, if we look at the difference in weight then a Barn Owl has an average weight of 520 g which is 0.52 kg. On the other hand, an average adult human species weighs 60 to 80 kg. In terms of weight two, the difference is huge.
Talking about the wingspan difference, the Barn Owl has a wingspan of 80 to 95 cm (31 to 37 in) while the arm span of humans is around 5.5-5.9ft.
| Barn Owl | Average Human | |
| Height | 32-40 cm (13-16 in) | 5.5-5.9ft |
| Weight | 470-570 g (1-1.3lb) | 60-80kg (132-176lb) |
| Wingspan/Armspan | 80 to 95 cm (31 to 37”) | 5.5-5.9ft |
Conclusion
And that was everything you need to know about the size of the Barn owl. I hope this article was informative enough and you got something useful from it.
Thank You For Reading!
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