Barn owls, however, belong to a family called Tytonidae, which comes from the Greek word tuto, which means, ‘night owl,’” according to the Owl Research Institute.

Arizona has 13 species of owl, including great horned owls, barn owls and screech owls. Here's where they live and what to do if you encounter one.

Among the interesting facts is that what appears to be an Eastern Screech Owl’s ears are actually feather tufts. “The tufts are not ears. Their ears are on the sides of their heads.