In 2024, ornithologists split the widespread Barn Owl, found on every continent except Antarctica, into three species: American Barn Owl, Eastern Barn Owl, and Western Barn Owl. American Barn Owl is restricted to the Americas, Eastern Barn Owl occurs from South Asia to Australia, and Western Barn Owl is found in Europe, Africa, and western Asia. American Barn Owls swallow their prey whole—skin, bones, and all. About twice a day, they cough up pellets instead of passing all that material through their digestive tracts. The pellets make a great record of what the owls have eaten, and scientists study them to learn more about the owls and the ecosystems they live in. Barn owls have excellent low-light vision, and can easily find prey at night by sight. But their ability to locate prey by sound alone is the best of any animal that has ever been tested. They can catch mice in complete darkness in the lab, or hidden by vegetation or snow out in the real world.