Kauaʻi Conservation Atlas

Kauaʻi record · kba_bird_barn_owl

Barn Owl

Tyto alba

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Barn Owl (Tyto alba). Atlas ecological plate.
Barn Owl (Tyto alba). Atlas ecological plate. · Kauaʻi Conservation Atlas · AI-generated Atlas reconstruction · Source image; reframed to 16:9 without cropping · Image source

About Barn Owl

Barn Owl (Tyto alba) is recorded as a naturalized resident or reintroduced population on Kauaʻi in the Bishop Museum's 2017 island checklist. This is a documented island occurrence, not a claim of an individual sighting in 2026.

Kauaʻi evidence

Bishop Museum island checklist (version 2, 2017) lists Kauaʻi status N: naturalized resident or reintroduced population. See original island table. The record includes Kauaʻi-specific or clearly defined regional evidence appropriate to its stated occurrence status.

Occurrence evidence

bishop_island_checklist_2017

Names and classification

Scientific name
Tyto alba
Common names
Barn Owl
Family
Tytonidae
Order
Strigiformes
Record type
Species

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Kauaʻi occurrence
Kauaʻi documented: naturalized resident or reintroduced population (2017 island checklist)
Origin
Introduced
Conservation status
Not assessed
Evidence date
2026-09-13
Evidence limits
Island occurrence supported by the 2017 checklist; abundance and current year presence are not established here

Habitat and ecology

Habitats
Forest
Food and resource needs
Predator role is documented in cited sources
Reproduction
Suitable nesting or roosting sites, seasonal food, and protection from disturbance and predators.
Shelter
Shelter and structure within forest.

Threats and conservation

Threats
Introduced predator pressure on native birds and competition/confusion with Pueo · Barn Owl control requires non-target safeguards
Conservation actions
Map overlap with seabird/waterbird colonies, distinguish Barn Owl from Pueo, and route actions through predator-control and injurious-wildlife safeguards
Monitoring
Track occurrence, abundance, habitat condition, breeding or seasonal use, and significant threats.
Data gaps
Update island status with dated contemporary records · Specific Kauaʻi habitat and abundance need local evidence

Process and seasonal context

Seasonal timing
Introduced Established Resident
Seasonal description
Barn Owl (Tyto alba) is recorded as a naturalized resident or reintroduced population on Kauaʻi in the Bishop Museum's 2017 island checklist. This is a documented island occurrence, not a claim of an individual sighting in 2026.

Sources and further reading

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