The only species of owl in the Tyto genus that lives in North America is the American Barn Owl (tyto furcata).  Aside from the American Barn Owl, there are more eighteen more species in the Tyto genus. These species include masked, grass, lesser and greater sooties, and eastern and western barn owls. These aforementioned other species live in Europe, Central America, Africa, Asia, and Oceanus.

Barn Owls eat a variety of small rodents, as well as lizards, fish, amphibians, large insects, and other small mammals. They are not very picky about nesting locations either-- buildings, trees, cliffs, and caves will do. Unlike other birds, they don't make round nests, but rather lay their 4-8 eggs on the surface of the nesting spot. In addition to this, Barn owls mate for life and are purely nocturnal.

The American Barn Owl is found in both North and South America. The top of their range is the lower forty-eight states and the bottom is the southernmost tip of South America. They can be found pretty much everywhere within this range. American Barn Owls live in most habitats but avoid high altitudes, like all other owls in the Tyto genus. The only place on the map they are not native to is Hawaii. They were introduced in 1958 by the government to help control rodent populations that were threatening agriculture.

Fun facts:

- barn owls have soft fringe feathers on the tips of their wings, which allow them to fly silently

- barn owls have excellent hearing, which is caused by their ears are slightly offset. Because of this, they can hear a mouse's heartbeat up to a mile away!

- barn owl calls sound like raspy, blood-curdling screeches. These screeches are terrifying to hear, even if you know what they are