Text extracted from Gill B.J.; Bell, B.D.; Chambers, G.K.; Medway, D.G.; Palma, R.L.; Scofield, R.P.; Tennyson, A.J.D.; Worthy, T.H. 2010. Checklist of the birds of New Zealand, Norfolk and Macquarie Islands, and the Ross Dependency, Antarctica. 4th edition. Wellington, Te Papa Press and Ornithological Society of New Zealand. Pages 264 & 267-268.

Order STRIGIFORMES: Owls Regarding the following nomina dubia, see under genus Aegotheles Vigors & Horsfield: Strix parvissima Ellman, 1861: Zoologist 19: 7465. Nomen dubium. Strix parvissima Potts, 1871: Trans. N.Z. Inst. 3: 68 – Rangitata River, Canterbury. Nomen dubium. Athene (Strix) parvissima Potts; Potts 1873, Trans. N.Z. Inst. 5: 172. Nomen dubium

Family TYTONIDAE Ridgway: Barn Owls Subfamily TYTONINAE Ridgway: Barn Owls Tytonidae Ridgway, 1914: Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. 50(6): 598 – Type genus: Tyto Billber, 1828.

Genus Tyto Billberg Strix Savigny, 1809: Descrip. Egypte Hist. Nat. 1: 69 – Type species (by monotypy) Strix flammea auctorum = Tyto alba (Scopoli). Junior homonym of Strix Linnaeus, 1758. Aluco Fleming, 1822: Phil. Zool. 2: 236 – Type species (by monotypy) Strix flammea auctorum = Tyto alba (Scopoli). Junior homonym of Aluco Link, 1807. Tyto Billberg, 1828: Syn. Faun. Scand. 1(2): tab. A – Type species (by monotypy) Strix alba Scopoli = Tyto alba (Scopoli). Ulula Nitzsch, 1829: Obs. Avium Arter. Carot. Comm.: 20. Unnecessary nomen novum for Strix Savigny, 1809. Junior homonym of Ulula Cuvier, 1817. Hybris Nitzsch, 1833: Pterylogr. Avium: 16 – Type species (by monotypy) Strix alba Scopoli = Tyto alba (Scopoli). Flammea Fournel, 1836: Faune Moselle: 101 – Type species (by monotypy) Strix vulgaris Brehm = Tyto alba (Scopoli). Eustrinx Webb, Berthelot & Moquin-Tandon, 1841: Hist. Nat. Iles Canaries 2: 8. Unnecessary nomen novum for Strix Savigny, 1809. Stridula Selys-Longchamps, 1842: Faune Belg.: 60 – Type species (by monotypy) Stridula flammea Selys- Longchamps = Tyto alba (Scopoli). Glyphidiura Reichenbach, 1850: Avium Syst. Nat.: pl. 92 – Type species (by subsequent designation) Strix perlata Lichtenstein = Tyto alba tuidara (J.E. Gray). Glaux Blyth, 1851: Journ. Asiatic Soc. Bengal. 19(7): 513 – Type species (by monotypy) Strix candida Tickell = Tyto capensis longimembris (Jerdon). Junior homonym of Glaux Rylands, 1836. Scelostrix Kaup, 1852: Jardine’s Contrib. Ornith.: 119 – Type species (by monotypy) Strix candida Tickell = Tyto capensis longimembris (Jerdon). Dactylostrix Kaup, 1852: Jardine’s Contrib. Ornith.: 119 – Type species (by monotypy) Strix castanops Gould = Tyto novaehollandiae castanops (Gould). Strigymnhemipus Des Murs, 1853: Chenu’s Encycl. Hist. Nat., Oiseaux 1: 146 – Type species (by subsequent designation) Strix perlata Lichtenstein = Tyto alba tuidara (J.E. Gray). Glaucostrix Gray, 1855: Cat. Genera Subgen. Birds Brit. Mus.: 135. Unnecessary nomen novum for Glaux Blyth, 1851.

Tyto alba (Scopoli) Barn Owl Strix alba Scopoli, 1769: Annus 1, Hist. Nat.: 21 – Friuli, northern Italy.

Almost world-wide. More than 30 subspecies.

Tyto alba delicatula (Gould) Australian Barn Owl Strix delicatulus Gould, 1837: Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1836 (4): 140 – “Novâ Cambriâ Australi” = New South Wales, Australia (fide Schodde 1997, Zool. Cat. Australia 37.2: 291). Aluco delicatula (Gould); Sharpe 1875, in Richardson & J.E. Gray (eds), Zool. Voy. ‘Erebus’ & ‘Terror’, Birds 1: 23. Tyto alba alexandrae Mathews, 1912: Novit. Zool. 18(3): 256 – Alexandria, Northern Territory, Australia. Tyto alba delicatula (Gould); Checklist Committee 1953, Checklist N.Z. Birds: 56. Tyto (Tyto) alba delicatula (Gould); Schodde 1997, Zool. Cat. Australia 37.2: 290.

Throughout mainland Australia. Rare in Tasmania, where it is probably a recent arrival (first recorded 1910). Several records from Norfolk Island (Higgins 1999). Vagrant in New Zealand. Three records of birds shot or accidentally killed in Westland: Barrytown 1947, Haast River mouth 1955, Runanga 1960 (Falla 1948, Falla & Riney 1958, Grant 1960). Two birds near Auckland were linked to transport on aeroplanes: 1983 (one, alive, Papatoetoe, on flight-path to Auckland International Airport; Gill & Turbott 1984); and 1985 (remains of one, Auckland International Airport, in undercarriage of aeroplane from USA via Hawai’i; Gill & Turbott 1985). Other records include: Feb. 1986 (one seen, south Kaipara Head; Guest 1990); 17 Aug. 1990 (one specimen, New Plymouth; Guest 1991); 21 Apr. 1992 (one seen, RNZAF base, Whenuapai); 30 Jun. To 18 Sep. 1992 (one, Hauturu / Little Barrier Island; Smuts-Kennedy & Lovegrove 1996); and one found injured in Apr. 2008, and others seen, at Kaitaia (Anon. 2008). Captive birds are in private hands, so some records may be of escaped cage-birds. Natural New Zealand records are assumed to be of the Australian subspecies, but it is likely that other subspecies have also reached New Zealand (e.g. Gill & Turbott 1985). Some authors consider all barn owls from South-east Asia, Australia and the Pacific to be T. javanica (Gmelin, 1788) (Christidis & Boles 2008). Not known as a fossil in New Zealand (see Millener 1983).