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10.2305 IUCN - UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22688504A86854321.en
10.2305 IUCN - UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22688504A86854321.en
View on www.iucnredlist.org
Citation: BirdLife International. 2016. Tyto alba. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016:
e.T22688504A86854321. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-
3.RLTS.T22688504A86854321.en
Copyright: © 2016 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorized without prior written
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Reproduction of this publication for resale, reposting or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written
permission from the copyright holder. For further details see Terms of Use.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is produced and managed by the IUCN Global Species Programme, the IUCN
Species Survival Commission (SSC) and The IUCN Red List Partnership. The IUCN Red List Partners are: Arizona State
University; BirdLife International; Botanic Gardens Conservation International; Conservation International; NatureServe;
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Sapienza University of Rome; Texas A&M University; and Zoological Society of London.
If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown in this document, please provide us with
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Regional Assessments:
• Europe
Common Name(s):
• English: Common Barn-owl
• French: Chouette effraie
Taxonomic Source(s):
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife
International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International,
Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
Assessment Information
Red List Category & Criteria: Least Concern ver 3.1
Justification:
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable
under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or
fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or
severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not
approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten
years or three generations). The population size is extremely large, and hence does not approach the
thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a
continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified
population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Tyto alba – published in 2016. 1
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1994 – Lower Risk/least concern (LR/lc)
Geographic Range
Country Occurrence:
Native: Albania; Algeria; American Samoa (American Samoa); Andorra; Angola (Angola); Antigua and
Barbuda; Argentina; Australia; Austria; Bahamas; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Barbados; Belarus; Belgium;
Belize; Benin; Bermuda; Bolivia, Plurinational States of; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Brazil;
Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cambodia; Cameroon; Canada; Cape Verde; Cayman Islands; Central
African Republic; Chad; Chile; China; Colombia; Comoros; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of
the; Costa Rica; Côte d'Ivoire; Croatia; Cuba; Curaçao; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Dominican
Republic; Ecuador; Egypt; El Salvador; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Falkland Islands (Malvinas);
Fiji; France; French Guiana; Gabon; Gambia; Georgia; Germany; Ghana; Gibraltar; Greece; Guadeloupe;
Guatemala; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Guyana; Honduras; Hungary; India; Indonesia; Iran, Islamic Republic
of; Iraq; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Jamaica; Jordan; Kenya; Kuwait; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Latvia;
Lebanon; Lesotho; Liberia; Libya; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav
Republic of; Madagascar; Malawi; Malaysia; Mali; Malta; Martinique; Mauritania; Mayotte; Mexico;
Moldova; Monaco; Montenegro; Montserrat; Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Namibia; Nepal;
Netherlands; Nicaragua; Niger; Nigeria; Niue; Oman; Pakistan; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Panama;
Papua New Guinea; Paraguay; Peru; Poland; Portugal; Puerto Rico; Qatar; Romania; Russian Federation;
Rwanda; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Samoa; San Marino; Sao
Tomé and Principe; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Serbia (Serbia); Sierra Leone; Singapore; Slovakia; Slovenia;
Solomon Islands; Somalia; South Africa; South Sudan; Spain; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Suriname; Swaziland;
Sweden; Switzerland; Syrian Arab Republic; Tanzania, United Republic of; Thailand; Timor-Leste; Togo;
Tonga; Trinidad and Tobago; Tunisia; Turkey; Turks and Caicos Islands; Uganda; Ukraine; United Arab
Emirates; United Kingdom; United States (Georgia); United States Minor Outlying Islands; Uruguay;
Vanuatu; Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of; Viet Nam; Wallis and Futuna; Western Sahara; Yemen;
Zambia; Zimbabwe
Introduced: Seychelles
Vagrant: Estonia; Finland; New Zealand; Norway; Svalbard and Jan Mayen
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Tyto alba – published in 2016. 2
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Distribution Map
Tyto alba
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Tyto alba – published in 2016. 3
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Population
The European population is estimated at 111,000-230,000 pairs, which equates to 222,000-460,000
mature individuals (BirdLife International 2015). Europe forms approximately 5% of the global range so a
very preliminary estimate of the global population is 4,400,000-9,200,000 mature individuals, although
further validation of this estimate is needed. The population is therefore placed in the band 4,000,000-
9,999,999 mature individuals.
Trend Justification
This species has had stable population trends over the last 40 years in North America (data from
Breeding Bird Survey and/or Christmas Bird Count: Butcher and Niven 2007). Note, however, that these
surveys cover less than 50% of the species's range in North America. The European population trend is
estimated to be fluctuating (BirdLife International 2015).
Current Population Trend: Stable
Systems: Terrestrial, Freshwater
Threats
Within the species's northern range, the causes of decline include loss and fragmentation of grassland
foraging habitat, intensification of agricultural practices, urbanization, and road development which is
also linked to road mortalities. It also suffers from severe winters. Increased mechanization of farmland
in its northern range has meant the loss of important foraging sites, such as stockyards and stables, and
the loss of abandoned farm buildings suitable for nest-sites. Organochlorine pesticides in the 1950s and
1960s and rodenticides in the 1970s and 1980s had disastrous effects on many owl populations in
Europe, particularly north-west Europe, parts of North America and north-east Australia (Bruce et al.
2014).
Nest boxes are used as part of local conservation efforts in Europe. Conservation measures have also
included protection and re-establishment of rough-grassland habitat mosaics, providing prey-rich
foraging areas, and controls over use of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides. Reintroduction
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Tyto alba – published in 2016. 4
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schemes in some areas have had mixed success, as well as conflicting with wild populations (Bruce et al.
2014).
Work should continue on the protection and re-establishment of rough grasslands, particularly
alongside watercourses, field margins and woodland edge in order to help reduce habitat fragmentation
and provide a network of prey-rich foraging grounds. The provision of nest boxes around these habitats
is also important. The use of rodenticides should be controlled. Reintroduction projects need to be
implemented with care and awareness of the potential dangers of introducing poor and incorrect
genetic stock (Tucker and Heath 1994).
Credits
Assessor(s): BirdLife International
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Tyto alba – published in 2016. 5
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Bibliography
BirdLife International. 2015. European Red List of Birds. Office for Official Publications of the European
Communities, Luxembourg.
Bruce, M.D., Christie, D.A. and Kirwan, G.M. 2014. Common Barn-owl (Tyto alba). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott,
A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. and de Juana, E. (eds), Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive, Lynx
Edicions, Barcelona.
Butcher, G. S.; Niven, D. K. 2007. Combining data from the Christmas bird count and the breeding bird
survey to determine the continental status and trends of North American birds.
Christidis, L. and Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and taxonomy of Australian birds. CSIRO Publishing,
Collingwood, Australia.
IUCN. 2016. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2016-3. Available at: www.iucnredlist.org.
(Accessed: 07 December 2016).
Sibley, C.G. and Monroe, B.L. 1993. A supplement to 'Distribution and Taxonomy of Birds of the World'.
Yale University Press, New Haven, USA.
Sibley, C.G.; Monroe, B.L. 1990. Distribution and Taxonomy of Birds of the World. Yale University Press,
New Haven, USA.
Tucker, G.M. and Heath, M.F. 1994. Birds in Europe: their conservation status. BirdLife International,
Cambridge, U.K.
Citation
BirdLife International. 2016. Tyto alba. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016:
e.T22688504A86854321. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22688504A86854321.en
Disclaimer
To make use of this information, please check the Terms of Use.
External Resources
For Images and External Links to Additional Information, please see the Red List website.
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Tyto alba – published in 2016. 6
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22688504A86854321.en
Appendix
Habitats
(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)
Major
Habitat Season Suitability
Importance?
5. Wetlands (inland) -> 5.3. Wetlands (inland) - Shrub Dominated Wetlands Resident Suitable No
5. Wetlands (inland) -> 5.4. Wetlands (inland) - Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Resident Marginal -
Fens, Peatlands
5. Wetlands (inland) -> 5.7. Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Resident Suitable No
Marshes/Pools (under 8ha)
7. Caves and Subterranean Habitats (non-aquatic) -> 7.1. Caves and Breeding Suitable No
Subterranean Habitats (non-aquatic) - Caves
15. Artificial/Aquatic & Marine -> 15.1. Artificial/Aquatic - Water Storage Resident Suitable No
Areas (over 8ha)
15. Artificial/Aquatic & Marine -> 15.6. Artificial/Aquatic - Wastewater Resident Suitable No
Treatment Areas
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Tyto alba – published in 2016. 7
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Major
Habitat Season Suitability
Importance?
15. Artificial/Aquatic & Marine -> 15.7. Artificial/Aquatic - Irrigated Land Non- Suitable No
(includes irrigation channels) breeding
15. Artificial/Aquatic & Marine -> 15.8. Artificial/Aquatic - Seasonally Non- Suitable No
Flooded Agricultural Land breeding
15. Artificial/Aquatic & Marine -> 15.9. Artificial/Aquatic - Canals and Non- Suitable No
Drainage Channels, Ditches breeding
In-Place Education
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Tyto alba – published in 2016. 8
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Distribution
Continuing decline in number of locations: Unknown
Population
Number of mature individuals: 4000000-9999999
Extreme fluctuations: No
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Tyto alba – published in 2016. 9
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The IUCN Red List Partnership
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is produced and managed by the IUCN Global Species
Programme, the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) and The IUCN Red List Partnership.
The IUCN Red List Partners are: Arizona State University; BirdLife International; Botanic Gardens
Conservation International; Conservation International; NatureServe; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew;
Sapienza University of Rome; Texas A&M University; and Zoological Society of London.