The Barn owls (Tytonidae) are one of the two families of owls, the other being the typical owls. There are at the moment 27 species of barn owls - however the taxonomy is controverial and many species are poorly studied, so this number may have to be revised in the coming years.

They are medium to large sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces formed by stiff feathers which serve to amplify and locate the source of sounds when hunting. They have long, strong legs with powerful talons. They also differ from typical owls in structural details relating in particular to the sternum and feet.

The barn owls are a wide ranging family, absent only from northern North America, Saharan Africa and large areas of Asia. They live in a wide range of habitats from deserts to forests, and from temperate latitudes to the tropics.