The barn owl has a white, heart-shaped facial disk, no ear tufts and long legs. The bird appears white from below and golden-brown from above, with black specks all over. The long wings fold beyond the tail and the legs are feathered. The sexes can be distinguished by differences in coloration and weight. Males usually have whiter breasts with fewer and smaller dark specks.
Females are typically heavier and have more and larger dark specks.
Chicks are covered with down when born, but 8 to 10 weeks later they acquire adult-like plumage. The barn owl is found on every continent except Antarctica. The species is considered partly migratory in the northeastern United States, although many individuals remain there throughout the winter. Band recoveries indicate that some northeastern barn owls winter in Texas and the southeastern part of the country. They are not aggressive toward other barn owls and can nest within a half mile of other pairs.