Which owl has a distinctive heart-shaped facial disc?

The barn owl has a distinctive heart-shaped facial disc.

This pale facial shape is formed by specialized feathers that help channel sound toward the ears. Barn owls hunt mainly at night, often locating small mammals by sound when vegetation or darkness hides their prey.

Barn owls belong to the family Tytonidae, which is separate from the typical owls in Strigidae. Their scientific name is Tyto alba, and they are found across much of the world, including Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Australia.

The facial disc is not unique to barn owls, because many owls use facial feathers to collect sound. However, the sharply defined heart shape is the feature most strongly associated with barn owls.