Latin name: Tyto alba

Brief introduction: The Barn Owl (Tyto alba guttata (Brehm, 1831)) is the most widespread bird of its kind found almost anywhere in the world except in polar and desert regions, and is also referred to as the Common Barn Owl. Contrary to other owls, the Barn Owl does not hoot but produces an ear-shattering scream-like sound.

Related papers:
Zhang et al., Comparative Genomics Reveals Insights into Avian Genome Evolution and Adaptation. Science, (2014).
Jarvis et al., Whole Genome Analyses Resolve Early Branches in the Tree of Life of Modern Birds. Science, (2014).