Back Jampôk ACE Uil Afrikaans ጉጉት Amharic Ūle ANG بوميات Arabic ܩܘܦܬܐ (ܛܝܪܐ) ARC بوميات ARZ ফেঁচা Assamese Strigiformes AST Ohomisiw ATJ
| Owl Temporal range: Late Paleocene to recent
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|---|---|
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| Left column from top, Strigidae: Tawny owl (Strix aluco), Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo), Little owl (Athene noctua), Northern saw-whet owl (Aegolius acadicus). Right column from top, Tytonidae: Barn owl (Tyto alba), Lesser sooty owl (Tyto multipunctata), Tasmanian masked owl (Tyto novaehollandiae castanops), Sri Lanka bay owl (Phodilus assimilis). | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Clade: | Telluraves |
| Order: | Strigiformes Wagler, 1830 |
| Families | |
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Strigidae | |
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| range of all species of owls, combined | |
| Synonyms | |
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Strigidae sensu Sibley & Ahlquist | |
Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes[1] (/ˈstrɪdʒəfɔːrmiːz/), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers adapted for silent flight. Exceptions include the diurnal northern hawk-owl and the gregarious burrowing owl.
Owls are divided into two families: the true (or typical) owl family, Strigidae, and the barn-owl family, Tytonidae.[2] Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish. They are found in all regions of the Earth except the polar ice caps and some remote islands.
A group of owls is called a "parliament".[3]
- ^ Cholewiak, Danielle (2003). "Strigiformes". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (2022). "Owls". World Bird List Version 12.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ Lipton, James (1991). An Exaltation of Larks. Viking. ISBN 978-0-670-30044-0.