Natural History and
Classification
Owls have existed on earth for a tremendously long
amount of time. They have adapted to nearly every type of environment from the
heat of the desert to the cold of the tundra.
In research project using DNA performed in 1985, Sibley and Ahlquist proposed that owls began to diverge from other
nocturnal predators around 70-80 million years ago (Johnsgard,
2002). The closest related birds are the
nightjars, which are of the order Caprimulgiformes. The
similarities between these two orders include the arrangement of their feather
patterns and the structure of their vocal organs (Johnsgard,
2002). Unlike the majority of owls,
nightjars spend most of their time on the ground (Farrand,
1994). The owl developed to pounce on
its prey and kill it quickly, so it evolved the talons and beak to make that
type of hunting most efficient. The
advantage of capturing prey during times of low light is most likely the reason
why they developed strong sight during the nighttime (Johnsgard,
2002).
The evolution of the modern owl resulted in two
distinct lines, the Strigidae family and the Tytonidae family. Through fossil records, the Tytonidae family appears to have differentiated first. Fossil evidence was found and dated to be
from the Eocene Period, while the first evidence of the Strigidae
family is from the early Miocene times (Johnsgard,
2002). There have also been fossils of
intermediate species found that share characteristics of both families.
There are 208 known species of owl in the world: 191
of the Strigidae family and 17 of the Tytonidae family. The only species of the family Tytonidae that occurs in North American is the Barn Owl (Farrand, 1994). The
owls of the Tytonidae family have several
characteristics that separate them from the rest of the owls in the Strigidae family. They have heart-shaped facial disks and
tend to have longer legs with a comb-like middle toe, called pectinated. They
weave their heads back and forth in a hypnotic motion to scare away attackers,
and they also do not make the `hoot’ sound that many people identify with the
owl (Owlpages, 2004).
Strigidae (Typical Owls)
191 Species
Aegolius acadicus Northern
Saw-whet Owl
Aegolius harrisii Buff-fronted
Owl
Aegolius ridgwayi Unspotted Saw-whet Owl
Asio abyssinicus
African Long-eared Owl
Asio madagascariensis Madagascar
Long-eared Owl
Asio otus Northern Long-eared Owl
Athene cunicularia Burrowing
Owl
Bubo africanus Spotted
Eagle-Owl
Bubo ascalaphus Pharaoh
Eagle-Owl
Bubo bengalensis Rock Eagle-Owl
Bubo cinerascens Greyish
Eagle-Owl
Bubo coromandus Dusky Eagle-Owl
Bubo lacteus Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl
Bubo leucostictus Akun Eagle-Owl
Bubo magellanicus Magellanic Horned Owl
Bubo nipalensis Spot-bellied
Eagle-Owl
Bubo philippensis Philippine
Eagle-Owl
Bubo poensis Fraser’s Eagle-Owl
Bubo shelleyi Shelley’s Eagle-Owl
Bubo sumatranus Barred
Eagle-Owl
Bubo virginianus Great Horned Owl
Bubo vosseleri Usambara Eagle-Owl
Ciccaba albitarsis Rufous-banded
Owl
Ciccaba huhula Black-banded Owl
Ciccaba nigrolineata Black-and-white
Owl
Glaucidium albertinum
Albertine Owlet
Glaucidium bolivianum Yungas Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium brasilianum Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium brodiei
Collared Owlet
Glaucidium californicum
Northern Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium capense
African Barred Owlet
Glaucidium castaneum
Chestnut Owlet
Glaucidium castanonotum Chestnut-backed
Owlet
Glaucidium castanopterum Javan
Owlet
Glaucidium cobanense Guatemalan
Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium costaricanum Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium cuculoides Asian
Barred Owlet
Glaucidium gnoma Mountain
Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium griseiceps Central
American Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium hardyi Amazonian Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium hoskinsii Cape
Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium jardinii Andean
Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium minutissimum
Least Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium nanum Austral Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium nubicola Cloud-forest Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium palmarum
Colima Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium parkeri Subtropical Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium passerinum
Eurasian Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium perlatum Pearl-spotted
Owlet
Glaucidium peruanum Peruvian
Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium radiatum Jungle
Owlet
Glaucidium sanchezi Tamaulipas
Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium siju Cuban
Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium sjostedti Sjostedt’s Owlet
Glaucidium tephronotum Red-chested Owlet
Glaucidium tucumanum Tucuman Pygmy-Owl
Gymnoglaux lawrencii Cuban
Screech-Owl
Ketupa blakistoni Blakiston’s
Fish-Owl
Ketupa flavipes Tawny Fish-Owl
Ketupa zeylonensis Brown
Fish-Owl
Lophostrix cristata Crested
Owl
Mimizuku gurneyi Mindanao
Eagle-Owl
Nesasio solomonensis Fearful
Owl
Ninox affinis Andaman
Hawk-Owl
Ninox boobook Southern
Boobook
Ninox jacquinoti Solomon
Hawk-Owl
Ninox natalis Christmas
Island Hawk-Owl
Ninox novaeseelandiae Morepork
Ninox ochracea Ochre-bellied
Hawk-Owl
Ninox odiosa New Britain Hawk-Owl
Ninox philippensis Philippine
Hawk-Owl
Ninox punctulata Speckled
Hawk-Owl
Ninox scutulata Brown
Hawk-Owl
Ninox squamipila
Moluccan Hawk-Owl
Ninox superciliaris White-browed
Owl
Ninox theomacha Jungle
Hawk-Owl
Ninox variegata Bismarck
Hawk-Owl
Otus albogularis White-throated
Screech-Owl
Otus angelinae Javan Scops-Owl
Otus atricapillus Variable
Screech-Owl
Otus bakkamoena
Indian Scops-Owl
Otus barbarus Bearded
Screech-Owl
Otus capnodes Anjouan Scops-Owl
Otus choliba Tropical
Screech-Owl
Otus clarkii Bare-shanked
Screech-Owl
Otus collari Sangihe Scops-Owl
Otus colombianus Colombian
Screech-Owl
Otus cooperi Pacific
Screech-Owl
Otus enganensis Enggano Scops-Owl
Otus flammeolus Flammulated Owl
Otus fuliginosus Palawan Scops-Owl
Otus guatemalae Guatemalan
Screech-Owl
Otus hartlaubi Sao
Tome Scops-Owl
Otus icterorhynchus Sandy
Scops-Owl
Otus ingens Rufescent
Screech-Owl
Otus insularis Seychelles
Scops-Owl
Otus kennicottii Western
Screech-Owl
Otus koepckeae Koepcke’s Screech-Owl
Otus lettia Collared Scops-Owl
Otus longicornis Luzon
Scops-Owl
Otus madagascariensis Torotoroka Scops-Owl
Otus magicus
Moluccan Scops-Owl
Otus manadensis Sulawesi Scops-Owl
Otus mantananensis Mantanani Scops-Owl
Otus marshalli
Cloud-forest Screech-Owl
Otus mayottensis Mayotte Scops-Owl
Otus megalotis Philippine Scops-Owl
Otus mentawi Mentawai Scops-Owl
Otus mindorensis Mindoro Scops-Owl
Otus moheliensis
Moheli Scops-Owl
Otus nudipes Puerto Rican Screech-Owl
Otus pauliani Comoro Scops-Owl
Otus pembaensis Pemba Scops-Owl
Otus petersoni Cinnamon Screech-Owl
Otus roboratus West Peruvian Screech-Owl
Otus rufescens Reddish Scops-Owl
Otus rutilus Malagasy Scops-Owl
Otus sagittatus White-fronted Scops-Owl
Otus sanctaecatarinae Long-tufted
Screech-Owl
Otus seductus Balsas
Screech-Owl
Otus semitorques
Japanese Scops-Owl
Otus senegalensis African
Scops-Owl
Otus silvicola Wallace’s Scops-Owl
Otus spilocephalus
Mountain Scops-Owl
Otus trichopsis Whiskered
Screech-Owl
Otus vermiculatus Vermiculated
Screech-Owl
Otus watsonii
Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl
Pseudoscops clamator Striped
Owl
Pseudoscops grammicus Jamaican
Owl
Ptilopsis granti Southern
White-faced Owl
Ptilopsis leucotis Northern
White-faced Owl
Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana
Tawny-browed Owl
Pulsatrix melanota Band-bellied Owl
Pulsatrix perspicillata Spectacled
Owl
Pyrroglaux podarginus Palau
Owl
Scotopelia bouvieri Vermiculated
Fishing-Owl
Scotopelia peli Pel’s
Fishing-Owl
Scotopelia ussheri Rufous Fishing-Owl
Strix hylophila Rusty-barred Owl
Strix leptogrammica Brown
Wood-Owl
Strix occidentalis Spotted
Owl
Strix ocellata Mottled Wood-Owl
Strix rufipes Rufous-legged
Owl
Strix seloputo Spotted
Wood-Owl
Strix woodfordii African
Wood-Owl
Surnia ulula Northern Hawk Owl
Tytonidae (Barn-Owls)
16 Species
Phodilus badius
Oriental Bay-Owl
Phodilus prigoginei
Congo Bay-Owl
Tyto aurantia New Britain Masked-Owl
Tyto capensis African Grass-Owl
Tyto deroestorffi
Andaman Masked Owl, Andaman Barn Owl
Tyto inexspectata
Minahassa Owl
Tyto longimembris Australasian
Grass-Owl
Tyto multipunctata Lesser
Sooty-Owl
Tyto novaehollandiae Australian
Masked-Owl
Tyto sororcula Lesser Masked-Owl