View source for Owl

{{Short description|Birds from the order Strigiformes}}
{{Other uses}}
{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = [[Late Paleocene]] to recent {{fossilrange|60|0}}
| image = Bubo bubo sibiricus - 01.JPG
| image_caption =  [[Eurasian eagle-owl]] (''Bubo bubo'')
| taxon = Strigiformes
| authority = [[Johann Georg Wagler|Wagler]], 1830
| range_map = Owl range.png
| range_map_caption = {{legend0|#bb7b57|&nbsp;range of all species of owls, combined}}
| subdivision_ranks = Families
| subdivision = [[Strigidae]]<br />
[[Tytonidae]]<br />
†[[Ogygoptyngidae]] ([[fossil]])<br />
†[[Palaeoglaucidae]] ([[fossil]])<br />
†[[Protostrigidae]] ([[fossil]])<br />
†[[Sophiornithidae]] ([[fossil]])
| synonyms = Strigidae <small>''sensu'' Sibley & Ahlquist</small>
}}

'''Owls''' are [[bird]]s from the [[Order (biology)|order]] '''Strigiformes'''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Strigiformes/ |title=Strigiformes |date=2003 |last1=Cholewiak |first1=Danielle |website=Animal Diversity Web |publisher=University of Michigan Museum of Zoology |access-date=31 December 2022}}</ref> ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|t|r|ɪ|dʒ|ə|f|ɔr|m|i:|z}}), which includes over 200 species of mostly [[Solitary animal|solitary]] and [[Nocturnal animal|nocturnal]] [[birds of prey]] typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, [[binocular vision]], [[binaural hearing]], sharp [[Claw|talons]], and [[feathers]] adapted for silent flight. Exceptions include the diurnal [[northern hawk-owl]] and the gregarious [[burrowing owl]].

Owls are divided into two [[Family (taxonomy)|families]]: the true (or typical) owl family, [[Strigidae]], and the [[barn owl]] and [[bay owl]] family, [[Tytonidae]].<ref name=ioc>{{cite web |editor1-last=Gill |editor1-first=Frank |editor2-last=Donsker |editor2-first=David |editor3-last= Rasmussen |editor3-first= Pamela |date=2022 |title=Owls |work=World Bird List Version 12.2 |url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/owls/ |publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=31 December 2022 }}</ref> Owls hunt mostly small [[mammal]]s, [[insect]]s, 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".<ref>{{Cite book|last=Lipton |first=James |title=An Exaltation of Larks |language=en |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AVNazQEACAAJ |date=1991 |publisher=Viking |isbn=978-0-670-30044-0}}</ref>

== Anatomy ==
[[File:Chouettes.jpg|thumb|left|[[Tawny owl]] (''Strix aluco''), left, and [[western barn owl]] (''Tyto alba''), right, belonging respectively to the [[Strigidae]] and [[Tytonidae]] families]]
[[File:Athene cuniculariaa.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Burrowing owl]] (''Athene cunicularia'')]]

Owls possess large, forward-facing eyes and ear-holes, a [[hawk]]-like [[beak]], a flat face, and usually a conspicuous circle of feathers, a [[facial disc]], around each eye. The feathers making up this disc can be adjusted to sharply focus sounds from varying distances onto the owls' asymmetrically placed ear cavities. Most birds of prey have eyes on the sides of their heads, but the stereoscopic nature of the owl's forward-facing eyes permits the greater sense of [[depth perception]] necessary for low-light hunting. Owls have [[binocular vision]], but they must rotate their entire heads to change the focus of their view because, like most birds, their eyes are fixed in their sockets. Owls are farsighted and cannot clearly see anything nearer than a few centimetres of their eyes. Caught prey can be felt by owls with the use of [[filoplume]]s—hairlike feathers on the beak and feet that act as "feelers". Their far vision, particularly in low light, is exceptionally good.

Owls can rotate their heads and necks as much as 270°. Owls have 14 neck vertebrae—humans have only seven—and their vertebral circulatory systems are adapted to allow them to rotate their heads without [[cerebral infarction|cutting off blood to the brain]]. Specifically, the [[Intervertebral foramina|foramina]] in their vertebrae through which the vertebral arteries pass are about ten times the diameter of the artery, instead of about the same size as the artery, as is the case in humans; the vertebral arteries enter the [[cervical vertebra]]e higher than in other birds, giving the vessels some slack, and the [[carotid artery|carotid arteries]] unite in a very large [[anastomosis]] or junction, the largest of any bird's, preventing blood supply from being cut off while they rotate their necks. Other anastomoses between the carotid and vertebral arteries support this effect.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge: Posters & Graphics|journal=Science|date=1 February 2013|volume=339|issue=6119|pages=514–515|doi=10.1126/science.339.6119.514|doi-access=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Owl mystery unraveled: Scientists explain how bird can rotate its head without cutting off blood supply to brain| url=http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/owl_mystery_unraveled_scientists_explain_how_bird_can_rotate_its_head_without_cutting_off_blood_supply_to_brain|date=31 January 2013|publisher=Johns Hopkins Medicine|access-date=2013-03-03}}</ref>

The smallest owl—weighing as little as {{convert|31|g|oz|frac=32|abbr=on}} and measuring some {{convert|13.5|cm|in|frac=4|abbr=on}}—is the [[elf owl]] (''Micrathene whitneyi'').<ref name="Owls">Konig, Claus; Welck, Friedhelm and Jan-Hendrik Becking (1999) ''Owls: A Guide to the Owls of the World'', Yale University Press, {{ISBN|978-0-300-07920-3}}.</ref>  Around the same diminutive length, although slightly heavier, are the lesser known [[long-whiskered owlet]] (''Xenoglaux loweryi'') and [[Tamaulipas pygmy owl]] (''Glaucidium sanchezi'').<ref name="Owls"/> The largest owls are two similarly sized species; the [[Eurasian eagle-owl]] (''Bubo bubo'') and [[Blakiston's fish owl]] (''Ketupa blakistoni''). The largest females of these species are {{convert|71|cm|in|frac=2|abbr=on}} long, have a {{convert|190|cm|in|abbr=on}} wing span, and weigh {{convert|4.2|kg|lb|frac=4|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Owls"/><ref>[http://www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-eurasian-eagle-owl.html Eurasian Eagle Owl]. Oiseaux-birds.com. Retrieved 2013-03-02.</ref><ref>[http://www.owlpages.com/owls.php?genus=Bubo&species=bubo Eurasian Eagle Owl – Bubo bubo – Information, Pictures, Sounds]. Owlpages.com (13 August 2012). Retrieved 2013-03-02.</ref><ref>[http://quillcards.com/blog/index.php/2009/09/23/take-a-peek-at-boo-the-eagle-owl/ Take A Peek At Boo, The Eagle Owl – The Quillcards Blog] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426061347/http://quillcards.com/blog/index.php/2009/09/23/take-a-peek-at-boo-the-eagle-owl/ |date=26 April 2015 }}. Quillcards.com (23 September 2009). Retrieved 2013-03-02.</ref><ref>[http://www.fishowls.com/ Blakiston's Fish Owl Project]. Fishowls.com (26 February 2013). Retrieved 2013-03-02.</ref>

Different species of owls produce different sounds; this distribution of calls aids owls in finding mates or announcing their presence to potential competitors, and also aids [[ornithologist]]s and [[birder]]s in locating these birds and distinguishing species. As noted above, their facial discs help owls to funnel the sound of prey to their ears. In many species, these discs are placed asymmetrically, for better directional location.

Owl [[plumage]] is generally [[crypsis|cryptic]], although several species have facial and head markings, including face masks, [[ear tuft]]s, and brightly colored [[Iris (anatomy)|iris]]es. These markings are generally more common in species inhabiting open habitats, and are thought to be used in signaling with other owls in low-light conditions.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Galeotti|first=Paolo |author2=Diego Rubolini|date=November 2007|title=Head ornaments in owls: what are their functions? |journal=Journal of Avian Biology|volume=38|issue=6|pages=731–736 | doi = 10.1111/j.0908-8857.2007.04143.x}}</ref>

=== Sexual dimorphism ===
[[File:Owl. Birds - defenders of the forest. USSR stamp. 1979.jpg|thumb|A stamp from the Soviet Union, 1979]]
[[Sexual dimorphism]] is a physical difference between males and females of a species. Female owls are typically larger than the males.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|title = Adaptive advantages of reversed sexual size dimorphism in European owls|last = Lundberg|first = Arne|date = May 1986|journal = Ornis Scandinavica|volume = 17|issue = 2|pages = 133–140|doi = 10.2307/3676862|jstor = 3676862 | bibcode=1986OrnSc..17..133L }}</ref> The degree of size dimorphism varies across multiple populations and species, and is measured through various traits, such as wing span and body mass.<ref name=":0" />

One theory suggests that selection has led males to be smaller because it allows them to be efficient [[Foraging|foragers]]. The ability to obtain more food is advantageous during breeding season. In some species, female owls stay at their nest with their eggs while it is the responsibility of the male to bring back food to the nest.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|url = https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/wilson/p0387-p0406.pdf|title = The evolution of reversed sexual size dimorphism in hawks, falcons and owls: a comparative study|last = Krüger|first = Oliver|date = September 2005|journal = Evolutionary Ecology|volume = 19|issue = 5|pages = 467–486|doi = 10.1007/s10682-005-0293-9| bibcode=2005EvEco..19..467K |s2cid = 22181702}}</ref> If food is scarce, the male first feeds himself before feeding the female.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|url = https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/wilson/p0387-p0406.pdf|title = The evolution of reversed sexual dimorphism in owls: an empirical analysis of possible selective factors|last = Mueller|first = H.C.|date = 1986|journal = The Wilson Bulletin|volume = 19|issue = 5|page = 467|doi = 10.1007/s10682-005-0293-9| bibcode=2005EvEco..19..467K |s2cid = 22181702}}</ref> Small birds, which are agile, are an important source of food for owls. Male burrowing owls have been observed to have longer wing chords than females, despite being smaller than females.<ref name=":1" /> Furthermore, owls have been observed to be roughly the same size as their prey.<ref name=":1" /> This has also been observed in other predatory birds,<ref name=":2" /> which suggests that owls with smaller bodies and long wing chords have been selected for because of the increased agility and speed that allows them to catch their prey.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}

Another popular theory suggests that females have not been selected to be smaller like male owls because of their sexual roles. In many species, female owls may not leave the nest. Therefore, females may have a larger mass to allow them to go for a longer period of time without starving. For example, one hypothesized sexual role is that larger females are more capable of dismembering prey and feeding it to their young, hence female owls are larger than their male counterparts.<ref name=":0" />

A different theory suggests that the size difference between male and females is due to sexual selection: since large females can choose their mate and may violently reject a male's sexual advances, smaller male owls that have the ability to escape unreceptive females are more likely to have been selected.<ref name=":1" />

If the character is stable, there can be different optimums for both sexes. Selection operates on both sexes at the same time; therefore it is necessary to explain not only why one of the sexes is relatively bigger, but also why the other sex is smaller.<ref>Székely T, Freckleton R. P., Reynolds J. D. (2004) Sexual selection explains Rensch's rule of size dimorphism in shorebirds. ''PNAS'', '''101''', N. 33, p. 12224–12227.</ref> If owls are still evolving toward smaller bodies and longer wing chords, according to V. Geodakyan's Evolutionary Theory of Sex, males should be more advanced on these characters. Males are viewed as an evolutionary vanguard of a population, and sexual dimorphism on the character, as an evolutionary "distance" between the sexes.  "Phylogenetic rule of sexual dimorphism" states that if there exists a sexual dimorphism on any character, then the evolution of this trait goes from the female form toward the male one.<ref>Geodakyan V. A. (1985) Sexual dimorphism. In: Evolution and morphogenesis. (Mlikovsky J., Novak V. J. A., eds.), Academia, Praha, p. 467–477.</ref>

=== Hunting adaptations ===
All owls are carnivorous birds of prey and live on diets of insects, small rodents and lagomorphs. Some owls are also specifically adapted to hunt fish. They are very adept in hunting in their respective environments. Since owls can be found in nearly all parts of the world and across a multitude of ecosystems, their hunting skills and characteristics vary slightly from species to species, though most characteristics are shared among all species.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-28 |title=Are Owls Omnivores Herbivores or Carnivores? [Answered!] |url=https://birdsatfirstsight.com/are-owls-omnivores-herbivores-or-carnivores/ |access-date=2023-07-24 |website=Birds at First Sight |language=en-US |archive-date=24 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724010537/https://birdsatfirstsight.com/are-owls-omnivores-herbivores-or-carnivores/ }}</ref>

==== Flight and feathers ====
{{external media|width=230px|video1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_FEaFgJyfA Experiment! How Does An Owl Fly So Silently?], from [[BBC Earth]]}}
Most owls share an innate ability to fly almost silently and also more slowly in comparison to other birds of prey. Most owls live a mainly nocturnal lifestyle and being able to fly without making any noise gives them a strong advantage over prey alert to the slightest sound in the night. A silent, slow flight is not as necessary for diurnal and crepuscular owls given that prey can usually see an owl approaching. Owls' feathers are generally larger than the average birds' feathers, have fewer radiates, longer pennulum, and achieve smooth edges with different [[rachis]] structures.<ref name="Bachmann2007"/> Serrated edges along the owl's [[Flight feather#Remiges|remiges]] bring the flapping of the wing down to a nearly silent mechanism. The serrations are more likely reducing aerodynamic disturbances, rather than simply reducing noise.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Stevenson|first=John|date=November 18, 2020|title=Small finlets on owl feathers point the way to less aircraft noise|work=[[Phys.org]]|url=https://phys.org/news/2020-11-small-finlets-owl-feathers-aircraft.html|access-date=November 20, 2020}}</ref> The surface of the flight feathers is covered with a velvety structure that absorbs the sound of the wing moving. These unique structures reduce noise frequencies above 2&nbsp;kHz,<ref name="Neuhaus1973"/> making the sound level emitted drop below the typical hearing spectrum of the owl's usual prey<ref name="Neuhaus1973"/><ref name=Willott/> and also within the owl's own best hearing range.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dyson |first1=M. L. |last2=Klump |first2=G. M. |last3=Gauger |first3=B. |title=Absolute hearing thresholds and critical masking ratios in the European barn owl: a comparison with other owls |journal=Journal of Comparative Physiology |date=April 1998 |volume=182 |issue=5 |pages=695–702 |doi=10.1007/s003590050214|bibcode=1998JCmPA.182..695D |s2cid=24641904 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Webster |first1=Douglas B. |last2=Fay |first2=Richard R. |title=The Evolutionary Biology of Hearing |date=December 6, 2012 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-1-4612-2784-7 |page=547 |chapter=Hearing in Birds}}</ref> This optimizes the owl's ability to silently fly to capture prey without the prey hearing the owl first as it flies, and to hear any noise the prey makes. It also allows the owl to monitor the sound output from its flight pattern.
[[File:Great Horned Owl in a Rain Storm in the Mojave.jpg|thumb|right|A [[great horned owl]] with wet [[feathers]], waiting out a [[rainstorm]]]]

The disadvantage of such feather adaptations for barn owls is that their feathers are not waterproof.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/news/barn-owl-feathers|first=Charlotte|last=Owen|title=Barn Owl feathers|publisher=[[Sussex Wildlife Trust]]|date=23 August 2022|access-date=11 February 2024}}</ref> The adaptations mean that barn owls do not use the [[uropygial gland]], informally the "preen" or "oil" gland, as most birds do, to spread oils across their plumage through preening.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aiwc.ca/blog/unveiling-the-intricate-mechanisms-of-avian-waterproofing/|first=Julia|last=Gaume|title=Unveiling the intricate mechanisms of avian waterproofing|publisher=Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation|date=26 July 2023|access-date=13 February 2024}}</ref> This makes them highly vulnerable to heavy rain when they are unable to hunt.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.barnowltrust.org.uk/barn-owl-facts/barn-owl-adaptations/#:~:text=Compared%20with%20other%20birds%2C%20Barn,increase%20noise%20and%20reduce%20efficiency.|title=Barn Owl adaptations|publisher=[[Barn Owl Trust]]|access-date=11 February 2024}}</ref> Historically, they would switch to hunting indoors in wet weather, using [[barn]]s and other agricultural buildings, but the decline in the numbers of these structures in the 20th and 21st centuries has reduced such opportunities.<ref name="auto"/> The lack of waterproofing means that barn owls are also susceptible to drowning, in [[Manger|drinking troughs]] and other structures with smooth sides. The [[Barn Owl Trust]] provides advice on how this can be mitigated, by the installation of floats.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.barnowltrust.org.uk/hazards-solutions/water-troughs-barn-owls/|title=Barn Owl Hazards: Water troughs|publisher=[[Barn Owl Trust]]|access-date=11 February 2024}}</ref>

==== Vision ====
Eyesight is a particular characteristic of the owl that aids in nocturnal prey capture. Owls are part of a small group of birds that live nocturnally, but do not use [[Animal echolocation|echolocation]] to guide them in flight in low-light situations. Owls are known for their disproportionally large eyes in comparison to their skulls. An apparent consequence of the evolution of an absolutely large eye in a relatively small skull is that the eye of the owl has become tubular in shape. This shape is found in other so-called nocturnal eyes, such as the eyes of [[Strepsirrhini|strepsirrhine]] [[primate]]s and [[bathypelagic fish]]es.<ref name="Walls1942"/> Since the eyes are fixed into these sclerotic tubes, they are unable to move the eyes in any direction.<ref name="König1999"/> Instead of moving their eyes, owls swivel their heads to view their surroundings. Owls' heads are capable of swiveling through an angle of roughly 270° in either direction<!--multiple sources, such as National Geographic, misreport this as the full range of motion, so we should clarify it's more than that - roughly 540° from one limit to the other-->, easily enabling them to see behind them without relocating the torso.<ref name="König1999"/> This ability keeps bodily movement at a minimum, thus reduces the amount of sound the owl makes as it waits for its prey. Owls are regarded as having the most frontally placed eyes among all avian groups, which gives them some of the largest binocular fields of vision. Owls are farsighted and cannot focus on objects within a few centimetres of their eyes.<ref name="Walls1942"/><ref name=Hughes/> These mechanisms are only able to function due to the large-sized retinal image.<ref name="Martin1982"/> Thus, the primary nocturnal function in the vision of the owl is due to its large posterior nodal distance; retinal image brightness is only maximized to the owl within secondary neural functions.<ref name="Martin1982"/> These attributes of the owl cause its nocturnal eyesight to be far superior to that of its average prey.<ref name="Martin1982"/>

==== Hearing ====
[[File: Great Horned Owl at twilight, Mojave Desert.jpg|thumb|right|A [[great horned owl]] perched on the top of a Joshua tree at evening ([[twilight]]) in the [[Mojave Desert]], U.S.]]
{{further|Sound localization in owls}}

Owls exhibit specialized hearing functions and ear shapes that also aid in hunting. They are noted for asymmetrical ear placements on the skull in some genera. Owls can have either internal or external ears, both of which are asymmetrical. Asymmetry has not been reported to extend to the middle or internal ear of the owl. Asymmetrical ear placement on the skull allows the owl to pinpoint the location of its prey. This is especially true for strictly nocturnal species such as the barn owls ''Tyto'' or Tengmalm's owl.<ref name=" König1999"/> With ears set at different places on its skull, an owl is able to determine the direction from which the sound is coming by the minute difference in time that it takes for the sound waves to penetrate the left and right ears.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Knudsen |first=Eric I. |date=1 December 1981 |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-hearing-of-the-barn-owl/ |title=The Hearing of the Barn Owl |work=Scientific American}}</ref> The owl turns its head until the sound reaches both ears at the same time, at which point it is directly facing the source of the sound. This time difference between ears is about 30 microseconds. <!-- Like the eyes, which use feather movements to focus light,{{citation needed|date=January 2014}}{{dubious|date=January 2014}} the ears are surrounded by feathers to maximize hearing capabilities. --> Behind the ear openings are modified, dense feathers, densely packed to form a facial ruff, which creates an anterior-facing, concave wall that cups the sound into the ear structure.<ref name=Norberg/> This facial ruff is poorly defined in some species, and prominent, nearly encircling the face, in other species. The facial disk also acts to direct sound into the ears, and a downward-facing, sharply triangular beak minimizes sound reflection away from the face. The shape of the facial disk is adjustable at will to focus sounds more effectively.<ref name="König1999"/>

The prominences above a great horned owl's head are commonly mistaken as its ears. This is not the case; they are merely feather tufts. The ears are on the sides of the head in the usual location (in two different locations as described above).

==== Talons ====
While the auditory and visual capabilities of the owl allow it to locate and pursue its prey, the talons and beak of the owl do the final work. The owl kills its prey using these talons to crush the skull and knead the body.<ref name="König1999"/> The crushing power of an owl's talons varies according to prey size and type, and by the size of the owl. The burrowing owl (''Athene cunicularia''), a small, partly insectivorous owl, has a release force of only 5&nbsp;N. The larger [[Western barn owl|barn owl]] (''Tyto alba'') needs a force of 30&nbsp;N to release its prey, and one of the largest owls, the [[great horned owl]] (''Bubo virginianus''), needs a force over 130&nbsp;N to release prey in its talons.<ref name="Marti1974"/> An owl's talons, like those of most birds of prey, can seem massive in comparison to the body size outside of flight. The [[Tyto novaehollandiae castanops|Tasmanian masked owl]] has some of the proportionally longest talons of any bird of prey; they appear enormous in comparison to the body when fully extended to grasp prey.<ref name="Einoder2007"/> An owl's claws are sharp and curved. The family Tytonidae has inner and central toes of about equal length, while the family Strigidae has an inner toe that is distinctly shorter than the central one.<ref name="Marti1974"/> These different morphologies allow efficiency in capturing prey specific to the different environments they inhabit.

==== Beak ====
The beak of the owl is short, curved, and downward-facing, and typically hooked at the tip for gripping and tearing its prey. Once prey is captured, the scissor motion of the top and lower bill is used to tear the tissue and kill. The sharp lower edge of the upper bill works in coordination with the sharp upper edge of the lower bill to deliver this motion. The downward-facing beak allows the owl's field of vision to be clear, as well as directing sound into the ears without deflecting sound waves away from the face.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Shamim1410|date=2020-04-22|title=Owl Bird Traits, Adaptations and Surprising Facts|url=https://www.birdbaron.com/owl-bird/|access-date=2022-02-04|website=Bird Baron|language=en-US}}</ref>

==== Camouflage ====
[[File:Harfang en vol 1.jpg|thumb|The [[snowy owl]] has effective [[snow camouflage]]]]

The coloration of the owl's plumage plays a key role in its ability to sit still and blend into the environment, making it nearly invisible to prey. Owls tend to mimic the coloration and sometimes the texture patterns of their surroundings, the barn owl being an exception. The [[snowy owl]] (''Bubo scandiacus'') appears nearly bleach-white in color with a few flecks of black, mimicking their snowy surroundings perfectly, while the speckled brown plumage of the [[tawny owl]] (''Strix aluco'') allows it to lie in wait among the deciduous woodland it prefers for its habitat. Likewise, the [[mottled wood owl]] (''Strix ocellata'') displays shades of brown, tan, and black, making the owl nearly invisible in the surrounding trees, especially from behind. Usually, the only tell-tale sign of a perched owl is its vocalizations or its vividly colored eyes.

== Behavior ==
[[File:Feathers owl vs hawk.png|thumb|Comparison of an owl (left) and hawk (right) [[remex]].]]
[[File:EulenfederTeil3.jpg|thumb|The [[serration]]s on the leading edge of an owl's flight [[feather]]s reduce noise]]
[[File:SpottedEagleOwl2539MGEyeLid.jpg|thumb|upright|Owl eyes each have [[nictitating membrane]]s that can move independently of each other, as seen on this [[spotted eagle-owl]] in [[Johannesburg]], [[South Africa]].]] 
<!-- [[File:SpottedEagleOwl2483MGYawn.jpg|thumb|upright|Owls [[yawn]]]]-->

Most owls are [[nocturnal]], actively hunting their prey in darkness. Several types of owls are [[crepuscular]]—active during the twilight hours of dawn and dusk; for example the [[pygmy owl]]s (''Glaucidium''). A few owls are active during the day, also; examples are the [[burrowing owl]] (''Speotyto cunicularia'') and the [[short-eared owl]] (''Asio flammeus'').

Much of the owls' hunting strategy depends on stealth and surprise. Owls have at least two adaptations that aid them in achieving stealth. First, the dull coloration of their feathers can render them almost invisible under certain conditions. Secondly, serrated edges on the leading edge of owls' [[remiges]] muffle an owl's wing beats, allowing an owl's flight to be practically silent. Some fish-eating owls, for which silence has no evolutionary advantage, lack this adaptation.

An owl's sharp [[beak]] and powerful [[Talon (anatomy)|talons]] allow it to kill its prey before swallowing it whole (if it is not too big). Scientists studying the diets of owls are helped by their habit of [[regurgitation (digestion)|regurgitating]] the indigestible parts of their prey (such as bones, scales, and fur) in the form of [[Pellet (ornithology)|pellets]]. These "owl pellets" are plentiful and easy to interpret, and are often sold by companies to schools for dissection by students as a lesson in biology and ecology.<ref>[http://www.carolina.com/teacher-resources/Interactive/owl-pellets-in-the-classroom-safety-guidelines/tr11086.tr Owl Pellets in the Classroom: Safety Guidelines]. Carolina.com</ref>

=== Breeding and reproduction ===
Owl eggs typically have a white color and an almost spherical shape, and range in number from a few to a dozen, depending on species and the particular season; for most, three or four is the more common number. In at least one species, female owls do not mate with the same male for a lifetime. Female burrowing owls commonly travel and find other mates, while the male stays in his territory and mates with other females.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Selected Aspects of Burrowing Owl Ecology and Behavior|jstor = 1366565|journal = The Condor|date = 1973|pages = 446–456|volume = 75|issue = 4|doi = 10.2307/1366565|first = Dennis J.|last = Martin| bibcode=1973Condo..75..446M |s2cid = 55069283}}</ref>

== Evolution and systematics ==
[[File:Owl sleeping in tree.jpg|thumb|upright|A [[great horned owl]] (''Bubo virginianus'') sleeping during daytime in a hollow tree]]
Recent [[phylogenetic]] studies place owls within the [[clade]] [[Telluraves]], most closely related to the [[Accipitrimorphae]] and the [[Coraciimorphae]],<ref name = "Jarvis2014">{{cite journal |last1=Jarvis |first1=Erich D. |last2=Mirarab |first2=Siavash |last3=Aberer |first3=Andre J. |last4=Li |first4=Bo |last5=Houde |first5=Peter |last6=Li |first6=Cai |last7=Ho |first7=Simon Y. W. |last8=Faircloth |first8=Brant C. |last9=Nabholz |first9=Benoit |last10=Howard |first10=Jason T. |last11=Suh |first11=Alexander |last12=Weber |first12=Claudia C. |last13=da Fonseca |first13=Rute R. |last14=Li |first14=Jianwen |last15=Zhang |first15=Fang |last16=Li |first16=Hui |last17=Zhou |first17=Long |last18=Narula |first18=Nitish |last19=Liu |first19=Liang |last20=Ganapathy |first20=Ganesh |last21=Boussau |first21=Bastien |last22=Bayzid |first22=Md. Shamsuzzoha |last23=Zavidovych |first23=Volodymyr |last24=Subramanian |first24=Sankar |last25=Gabaldón |first25=Toni |last26=Capella-Gutiérrez |first26=Salvador |last27=Huerta-Cepas |first27=Jaime |last28=Rekepalli |first28=Bhanu |last29=Munch |first29=Kasper |last30=Schierup |first30=Mikkel |last31=Lindow |first31=Bent |last32=Warren |first32=Wesley C. |last33=Ray |first33=David |last34=Green |first34=Richard E. |last35=Bruford |first35=Michael W. |last36=Zhan |first36=Xiangjiang |last37=Dixon |first37=Andrew |last38=Li |first38=Shengbin |last39=Li |first39=Ning |last40=Huang |first40=Yinhua |last41=Derryberry |first41=Elizabeth P. |last42=Bertelsen |first42=Mads Frost |last43=Sheldon |first43=Frederick H. |last44=Brumfield |first44=Robb T. |last45=Mello |first45=Claudio V. |last46=Lovell |first46=Peter V. |last47=Wirthlin |first47=Morgan |last48=Schneider |first48=Maria Paula Cruz |last49=Prosdocimi |first49=Francisco |last50=Samaniego |first50=José Alfredo |last51=Velazquez |first51=Amhed Missael Vargas |last52=Alfaro-Núñez |first52=Alonzo |last53=Campos |first53=Paula F. |last54=Petersen |first54=Bent |last55=Sicheritz-Ponten |first55=Thomas |last56=Pas |first56=An |last57=Bailey |first57=Tom |last58=Scofield |first58=Paul |last59=Bunce |first59=Michael |last60=Lambert |first60=David M. |last61=Zhou |first61=Qi |last62=Perelman |first62=Polina |last63=Driskell |first63=Amy C. |last64=Shapiro |first64=Beth |last65=Xiong |first65=Zijun |last66=Zeng |first66=Yongli |last67=Liu |first67=Shiping |last68=Li |first68=Zhenyu |last69=Liu |first69=Binghang |last70=Wu |first70=Kui |last71=Xiao |first71=Jin |last72=Yinqi |first72=Xiong |last73=Zheng |first73=Qiuemei |last74=Zhang |first74=Yong |last75=Yang |first75=Huanming |last76=Wang |first76=Jian |last77=Smeds |first77=Linnea |last78=Rheindt |first78=Frank E. |last79=Braun |first79=Michael |last80=Fjeldsa |first80=Jon |last81=Orlando |first81=Ludovic |last82=Barker |first82=F. Keith |last83=Jønsson |first83=Knud Andreas |last84=Johnson |first84=Warren |last85=Koepfli |first85=Klaus-Peter |last86=O'Brien |first86=Stephen |last87=Haussler |first87=David |last88=Ryder |first88=Oliver A. |last89=Rahbek |first89=Carsten |last90=Willerslev |first90=Eske |last91=Graves |first91=Gary R. |last92=Glenn |first92=Travis C. |last93=McCormack |first93=John |last94=Burt |first94=Dave |last95=Ellegren |first95=Hans |last96=Alström |first96=Per |last97=Edwards |first97=Scott V. |last98=Stamatakis |first98=Alexandros |last99=Mindell |first99=David P. |display-authors=29 |last100=Cracraft |first100=Joel |last101=Braun |first101=Edward L. |last102=Warnow |first102=Tandy |last103=Jun |first103=Wang |last104=Gilbert |first104=M. Thomas P. |last105=Zhang |first105=Guojie |title=Whole-genome analyses resolve early branches in the tree of life of modern birds |journal=Science |date=12 December 2014 |volume=346 |issue=6215 |pages=1320–1331 |doi=10.1126/science.1253451 |pmid=25504713 |pmc=4405904 |bibcode=2014Sci...346.1320J }}</ref><ref name="kuhl2020">{{Cite journal |last1=Kuhl |first1=Heiner |last2=Frankl-Vilches |first2=Carolina |last3=Bakker |first3=Antje |last4=Mayr |first4=Gerald |last5=Nikolaus |first5=Gerhard |last6=Boerno |first6=Stefan T |last7=Klages |first7=Sven |last8=Timmermann |first8=Bernd |last9=Gahr |first9=Manfred |date=2021-01-04 |editor-last=Battistuzzi |editor-first=Fabia Ursula |title=An Unbiased Molecular Approach Using 3′-UTRs Resolves the Avian Family-Level Tree of Life |url=https://academic.oup.com/mbe/article/38/1/108/5891114 |journal=Molecular Biology and Evolution |language=en |volume=38 |issue=1 |pages=108–127 |doi=10.1093/molbev/msaa191 |doi-access=free |issn=1537-1719 |pmc=7783168 |pmid=32781465 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240130195425/https://academic.oup.com/mbe/article/38/1/108/5891114 |archive-date= Jan 30, 2024 }}</ref> although the exact placement within Telluraves is disputed.<ref name=Prum2015>{{Cite journal |last1=Prum |first1=Richard O. |last2=Berv |first2=Jacob S. |last3=Dornburg |first3=Alex |last4=Field |first4=Daniel J. |last5=Townsend |first5=Jeffrey P. |last6=Lemmon |first6=Emily Moriarty |last7=Lemmon |first7=Alan R. |date=7 October 2015 |title=A comprehensive phylogeny of birds (Aves) using targeted next-generation DNA sequencing |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/nature15697 |journal=Nature |language=en |volume=526 |issue=7574 |pages=569–573 |doi=10.1038/nature15697 |pmid=26444237 |bibcode=2015Natur.526..569P |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name="HoudeBraun2019">{{cite journal|last1=Houde|first1=Peter|last2=Braun|first2=Edward L.|last3=Narula|first3=Nitish|last4=Minjares|first4=Uriel|last5=Mirarab|first5=Siavash|title=Phylogenetic Signal of Indels and the Neoavian Radiation|journal=Diversity|volume=11|issue=7|year=2019|page=108|issn=1424-2818|doi=10.3390/d11070108|bibcode=2019Diver..11..108H |doi-access=free}}</ref>

See below [[cladogram]]:

{{clade| style=font-size:80%;line-height:90%
|label1=[[Telluraves]]
|1={{clade
   |label1=[[Accipitrimorphae]]
   |1={{clade
      |1=[[Cathartiformes]] (New World vultures)[[File:Vintage Vulture Drawing white background.jpg|30 px]]
      |2=[[Accipitriformes]] ([[hawk]]s and relatives)[[File:Golden Eagle Illustration white background.jpg|40 px]]
      }}
   |2='''Strigiformes''' (owls)[[File:Cuvier-12-Hibou à huppe courte.jpg|40 px]]
   |label3=[[Coraciimorphae]]
   |3={{clade
      |1=[[Coliiformes]] (mouse birds)
      |label2=[[Cavitaves]]
      |2={{clade
         |1=[[Leptosomiformes]] (cuckoo roller)
         |label2=
         |2={{clade
            |1=[[Trogoniformes]] (trogons and quetzals)[[File:Harpactes fasciatus 1838 white background.jpg|40 px]]
            |label2=[[Picocoraciae]]
            |2={{clade
               |1=[[Bucerotiformes]] ([[hornbill]]s and relatives)
               |label2=[[Picodynastornithes]]
               |2={{clade
                  |1=[[Coraciiformes]] ([[kingfisher]]s and relatives)[[File:Cuvier-46-Martin-pêcheur d'Europe.jpg|50 px]]
                  |2=[[Piciformes]] ([[woodpecker]]s and relatives)
                  }}
               }}
            }}
         }}
      }}
   |label4=[[Australaves]]
   |4={{clade
      |1=[[Cariamiformes]] (seriemas)[[File:Cariama cristata 1838 white background.jpg|50 px]]
      |label2=[[Eufalconimorphae]]
      |2={{clade
         |1=[[Falconiformes]] (falcons)[[File:NewZealandFalconBuller white background.jpg|35 px]]
         |label2=[[Psittacopasserae]]
         |2={{clade
            |1=[[Psittaciformes]] (parrots)[[File:Pyrrhura lucianii - Castelnau 2.jpg|60 px]]
            |2=[[Passeriformes]] (passerines)[[File:Cuvier-33-Moineau domestique.jpg|50 px]]
            }}
         }}
      }} 
   }}
}}

[[Cladogram]] of Telluraves relationships based on Braun & Kimball (2021)<ref name=Braun&Kimball2021>Braun, E.L. & Kimball, R.T. (2021) Data types and the phylogeny of Neoaves. ''Birds'', 2(1), 1–22; https://doi.org/10.3390/birds2010001</ref>

Some 220 to 225 extant species of owls are known, subdivided into two families: 1. [[true owl]]s or typical owls family ([[Strigidae]]) and 2. barn-owls family ([[Tytonidae]]). Some entirely extinct families have also been erected based on [[fossil]] remains; these differ much from modern owls in being less specialized or specialized in a very different way (such as the terrestrial [[Sophiornithidae]]). The [[Paleocene]] genera ''[[Berruornis]]'' and ''[[Ogygoptynx]]'' show that owls were already present as a distinct lineage some 60–57 [[million years ago]] (Mya), hence, possibly also some 5 million years earlier, at the extinction of the non-avian [[dinosaur]]s. This makes them one of the oldest known groups of non-[[Galloanserae]] landbirds. The supposed "[[Cretaceous]] owls" ''[[Bradycneme]]'' and ''[[Heptasteornis]]'' are apparently non-[[Avialae|avialan]] [[Maniraptora|maniraptors]].<ref name=Mortimer/>

During the [[Paleogene]], the Strigiformes [[Adaptive radiation|radiated]] into [[ecological niche]]s now mostly filled by other groups of birds. {{Clarify|date=July 2010}} The owls as known today, though, evolved their characteristic [[Morphology (biology)|morphology]] and [[adaptation]]s during that time, too. By the early [[Neogene]], the other lineages had been displaced by other bird orders, leaving only barn owls and typical owls. The latter at that time was usually a fairly generic type of (probably earless) owl similar to today's North American [[spotted owl]] or the European [[tawny owl]]; the diversity in size and [[ecology]] found in typical owls today developed only subsequently.

Around the Paleogene-Neogene boundary (some 25 Mya), barn owls were the dominant group of owls in southern Europe and adjacent Asia at least; the distribution of fossil and present-day owl lineages indicates that their decline is contemporary with the evolution of the different major lineages of true owls, which for the most part seems to have taken place in Eurasia. In the Americas, rather, an expansion of immigrant lineages of ancestral typical owls occurred.

The supposed fossil [[heron]]s ''"Ardea" perplexa'' (Middle Miocene of Sansan, France) and ''"Ardea" lignitum'' (Late Pliocene of Germany) were more probably owls; the latter was apparently close to the modern genus ''[[Bubo (bird)|Bubo]]''. Judging from this, the Late Miocene remains from France described as ''"Ardea" aureliensis'' should also be restudied.<ref name=Olson/> The [[Messelasturidae]], some of which were initially believed to be [[Basal (phylogenetics)|basal]] Strigiformes, are now generally accepted to be diurnal [[birds of prey]] showing some [[convergent evolution]] toward owls. The taxa often united under ''[[Strigogyps]]''<ref name=Mayr/> were formerly placed in part with the owls, specifically the Sophiornithidae; they appear to be [[Ameghinornithidae]] instead.<ref name=Alvarenga/><ref name=Alvarenga2/><ref name=Peters/>

[[File:Palaeoglaux artophoron.JPG|thumb|upright|right|The ancient fossil owl ''[[Palaeoglaux]] artophoron'']]
For fossil species and [[paleosubspecies]] of extant [[taxa]], see the genus and species articles. For a full list of extant and recently extinct owls, see the article [[List of owl species]].

'''Unresolved and basal forms''' (all fossil)
* ''[[Berruornis]]'' (Late Paleocene of France) basal? Sophornithidae?
* Strigiformes gen. et sp. indet. (Late Paleocene of Zhylga, Kazakhstan)<ref>{{cite journal |last1= Mourer-Chauviré |first1= Cécile |date= September 1994 |title= A large owl from the Paleocene of France |journal= Palaeontology |volume= 37 |issue= 2 |pages= 339–348 |url= https://www.palass.org/publications/palaeontology-journal/archive/37/2/article_pp339-348 |access-date= 27 March 2021}}</ref>
* ''[[Primoptynx]]'' (Early Eocene of Wyoming, U.S.)<ref name="Mayr2020">{{cite journal |last1=Mayr |first1=Gerald |author-link=Gerald Mayr |last2=Gingerich |first2=Philip |last3=Smith |first3=Thierry |date=July 2020 |title=Skeleton of a new owl from the early Eocene of North America (Aves, Strigiformes) with an accipitrid-like foot morphology |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=40 |issue=2 |bibcode=2020JVPal..40E9116M |doi=10.1080/02724634.2020.1769116 |s2cid=222210173 |article-number=e1769116}}</ref>
* ''[[Palaeoglaux]]'' (Middle-Late Eocene of West-Central Europe) own family Palaeoglaucidae or Strigidae?
* ''Palaeobyas'' (Late Eocene/Early Oligocene of Quercy, France) Tytonidae? Sophiornithidae?{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}
* ''Palaeotyto'' (Late Eocene/Early Oligocene of Quercy, France) Tytonidae? Sophiornithidae?{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}
* Strigiformes ''gen. et spp. indet.'' (Early Oligocene of Wyoming, U.S.)<ref name=Olson/>
* ''[[Ypresiglaux]]'' (Early Eocene of Essex, United Kingdom and Virginia, U.S.)<ref name="Ypresiglaux">{{Cite journal |last1=Mayr |first1=Gerald |author-link=Gerald Mayr |last2=Kitchener |first2=Andrew C. |date=2022 |title=Early Eocene fossil illuminates the ancestral (diurnal) ecomorphology of owls and documents a mosaic evolution of the strigiform body plan |url= |journal=[[Ibis (journal)|Ibis]] |language=en |volume=165 |pages=231–247 |doi=10.1111/ibi.13125 |issn=0019-1019 |s2cid=251455832 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

=== Ogygoptyngidae ===
* ''[[Ogygoptynx]]'' (Middle/Late Paleocene of Colorado, U.S.)

=== Protostrigidae ===
* ''[[Eostrix]]'' (Early Eocene of United States, Europe, and Mongolia). ''E. gulottai'' is the smallest known fossil (or living) owl.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://phatfossils.com/pics/Eostrix%20gulottai/Eostrix%20gulottai.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://phatfossils.com/pics/Eostrix%20gulottai/Eostrix%20gulottai.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=The world's smallest owl, the earliest unambiguous charadriiform bird, and other avian remains from the early Eocene Nanjemoy Formation of Virginia (USA)|author=Gerald Mayr|website=Phatfossils.com|access-date=2022-03-24}}</ref>
* ''[[Minerva (bird)|Minerva]]'' (Middle – Late Eocene of western U.S.) formerly ''Protostrix'', includes ''"Aquila" ferox'', ''"Aquila" lydekkeri'', and ''"Bubo" leptosteus''<!-- AmMusNovit680:1,2773:1. Auk99:576. Palaeontology37:339. -->
* ''Oligostrix'' (mid-Oligocene of Saxony, Germany)<!-- Palaeontology37:339 -->

=== Sophiornithidae ===
* ''Sophiornis''<!-- Palaeontology37:339 -->

=== Tytonidae ===
* Genus ''[[Tyto]]'' – the barn owls, grass owls, and masked owls, stand up to {{convert|500|mm|in|abbr=on}} tall; some 15 extant species and possibly one recently extinct
* Genus ''[[Bay owl|Phodilus]]'' – the bay owls, two to three extant species and possibly one recently extinct

'''Fossil genera'''
* ''Nocturnavis'' (Late Eocene/Early Oligocene) includes ''"Bubo" incertus''
* ''Selenornis'' (Late Eocene/Early Oligocene) – includes ''"Asio" henrici''<!-- Auk99:576 -->
* ''Necrobyas'' (Late Eocene/Early Oligocene – Late Miocene) includes ''"Bubo" arvernensis'' and ''Paratyto''<!-- Auk99:576; Palaeontology37:339 -->
* ''Prosybris'' (Early Oligocene? – Early Miocene)
'''Placement unresolved'''
* Tytonidae ''gen. et sp. indet.'' "TMT 164" (Middle Miocene) – ''Prosybris''?<!-- Geobios2:157 -->

=== Strigidae ===
[[File:Asio otus Downsview Park Toronto2.jpg|thumb|upright|right|A [[long-eared owl]] (''Asio otus'') in an erect pose]]
[[File:Keulemans Laughing Owl.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[laughing owl]] (''Ninox albifacies''), last seen in 1914]]

* Genus ''[[Aegolius]]'' – the saw-whet owls, four species
* Genus ''[[Asio]]'' – the eared owls, eight species
* Genus ''[[Athene (bird)|Athene]]'' – two to four species (depending on whether the genera ''Speotyto'' and ''Heteroglaux'' are included or not)
* Genus ''[[Horned owl|Bubo]]'' – the horned owls, eagle-owls and fish-owls; paraphyletic with the genera ''Nyctea'', ''Ketupa'', and ''Scotopelia'', some 25 species
* Genus ''[[Pygmy owl|Glaucidium]]'' – the pygmy owls, about 30–35 species
* Genus ''[[Puerto Rican owl|Gymnasio]]'' – the Puerto Rican owl
* Genus ''[[Bare-legged owl|Gymnoglaux]]'' – the bare-legged owl or Cuban screech-owl
* Genus ''[[Crested owl|Lophostrix]]'' – the crested owl
* Genus ''[[Maned owl|Jubula]]'' – the maned owl
* Genus ''[[Screech owl|Megascops]]'' – the screech owls, some 20 species
* Genus ''[[Elf owl|Micrathene]]'' – the elf owl
* Genus ''[[Ninox]]'' – the Australasian hawk-owls or boobooks, some 20 species
* Genus ''[[Scops owl|Otus]]'' – the scops owls; probably [[paraphyletic]], about 45 species
* Genus ''[[Jamaican owl|Pseudoscops]]'' – the Jamaican owl
* Genus ''[[Flammulated owl|Psiloscops]]'' – the flammulated owl
* Genus ''[[Ptilopsis]]'' – the white-faced owls, two species
* Genus ''[[Pulsatrix]]'' – the spectacled owls, three species
* Genus ''[[Strix (genus)|Strix]]'' – the earless owls, about 15 species, including four previously assigned to ''Ciccaba''
* Genus ''[[Northern hawk-owl|Surnia]]'' – the northern hawk-owl
* Genus ''[[Taenioptynx]]'' - the collared owlet
* Genus ''[[Papuan hawk-owl|Uroglaux]]'' – the Papuan hawk-owl
* Genus ''[[Long-whiskered owlet|Xenoglaux]]'' – the long-whiskered owlet
'''Extinct genera'''
* Genus ''[[Stilt-owl|Grallistrix]]'' – the stilt-owls, four species; [[Late Quaternary prehistoric birds|prehistoric]]
* Genus ''[[Ornimegalonyx]]'' – the Caribbean giant owls, one to two species; [[Late Quaternary prehistoric birds|prehistoric]]
<!-- alphabetical order ends here -->

'''Fossil genera'''
* ''Mioglaux'' (Late Oligocene? – Early Miocene of West-Central Europe) – includes ''"Bubo" poirreiri''
* ''Intutula'' (Early/Middle – ?Late Miocene of Central Europe) – includes ''"Strix/Ninox" brevis''
* ''Alasio'' (Middle Miocene of Vieux-Collonges, France) – includes ''"Strix" collongensis''
* ''[[Oraristrix]]'' – the Brea owl (Late Pleistocene)
'''Placement unresolved'''
* ''"Otus/Strix" wintershofensis'': [[fossil]] (Early/Middle Miocene of Wintershof West, Germany) – may be close to extant genus ''Ninox''<ref name=Olson/>
* ''"Strix" edwardsi'' – [[fossil]] (Middle/Late? Miocene)
* ''"Asio" pygmaeus'' – [[fossil]] (Early Pliocene of Odesa, Ukraine)
* Strigidae gen. et sp. indet. UMMP V31030 (Late Pliocene)&nbsp;– ''Strix/Bubo''?
* the Ibizan owl, Strigidae ''gen. et sp. indet.'' – [[Late Quaternary prehistoric birds|prehistoric]]<ref name=Sanchez/>

{{anchor|symbolism and mythology}}

== Symbolism and mythology ==
===Africa===
Among the [[Kikuyu people|Kikuyu]] of [[Kenya]], it was believed that owls were harbingers of death. If one saw an owl or heard its hoot, someone was going to die. In general, owls are viewed as harbingers of bad luck, ill health, or death.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.owlpages.com/articles.php?section=Owl+Mythology&title=Owls+Lore+Culture&page=8 |title=Owls in Lore and Culture – The Owl Pages |publisher=Owlpages.com}}</ref>

===South Asia===
In [[Hinduism]], an owl is the ''[[vahana]]'' (mount) of the goddess [[Lakshmi]], especially in the eastern region of India.<ref name="Chopra2017">{{cite book|last=Chopra|first=Capt. Praveen |title=Vishnu's Mount: Birds In Indian Mythology And Folklore|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hoBDDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT109|year=2017|publisher=Notion Press|isbn=978-1-948352-69-7|page=109}}</ref> Owls are considered a symbol of wealth, prosperity, wisdom, good luck, and fortune. This is the reason why Owls are seen with Lakshmi, who is also the goddess of fortune, wealth, and prosperity. At the same time, owls are also associated with evil times in Hinduism. At times, [[Chamunda]] (fearsome form of [[Chandi]]) is depicted seated on an owl, her [[vahana]] (mount or vehicle). Hindus believe that owls are messengers of death.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Owl in Hinduism|url=https://tamilandvedas.com/tag/owl-in-hinduism/|access-date=2021-06-08|website=Tamil and Vedas|language=en}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=February 2023|reason=Not only is this a blog, but the link is to a tag not to a specific post.}}
<gallery>
Lakshmi 02349.JPG|The [[Devi|Hindu goddess]] [[Lakshmi]] with the owl
</gallery>

===East Asia===
====China====

In [[China]], owls are traditionally considered a sign of evil or misfortune, but are also seen as a symbol of good luck in military affairs, a symbol of protection and warding off evil spirits at funerals,<ref>{{Cite book | author = Liu Dunyuan | editor =  | title = Chinese Culture New Reading Series: Birds. Beasts. Plants and Trees in Cultural Relics | location = China | publisher = Sichuan People's Publishing House | date = November 1, 2022 | pages =  | isbn = 9787220128240 | accessdate = October 24, 2025 | url = https://www.books.com.tw/products/CN11829686?srsltid=AfmBOorHXdZK9jMLwKZ2670MQpqc6uKWxGIi-hSMoJtTs6vJNm9E5HOI | language = Chinese | quote =  }}</ref> and even as the incarnation of ancestors.<ref>{{cite news |language = Chinese |author = Lin Junying |url = https://www.hk01.com/%E8%97%9D%E6%96%87%E4%B8%AD%E5%9C%8B/507365/%E6%AD%B7%E5%8F%B2%E6%8E%A2%E7%A7%98-%E7%8E%84%E9%B3%A5%E7%94%9F%E5%95%86-%E6%AE%B7%E5%95%86%E7%A5%96%E5%85%88%E5%8C%96%E8%BA%AB%E6%98%AF%E8%B2%93%E9%A0%AD%E9%B7%B9 |title = 【Historical Mystery】The mysterious bird gave birth to Shang：Was the ancestor of the Shang Dynasty incarnated as an owl? |publisher = [[HK01]] |pages =  |date = August 6, 2020 |accessdate = October 24, 2025}}</ref> Owls are one of the most common birds in carvings and paintings on bronze, pottery, and funerary objects.
<gallery>
Owl's face.jpg|Chinese owl pottery
Owl-shaped wine vessel, a ritual bronze vessel called "Zun", used for storing wine in tombs. Bronze. Shang Dynasty, 1250-1050 BCE. From China. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.jpg|Chinese bronze owl
File:Shang Bronze You 02a.jpg|Chinese bronze vessel with a double-sided owl shape — 1
File:Shang Bronze You 02b.jpg|Chinese bronze vessel with a double-sided owl shape — 2
</gallery>

====Japan====
In [[Japan]], owls are regarded as lucky,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ph.D |first=Hiren B. Soni |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QNp0EAAAQBAJ&pg=PT29 |title=Owl 'The Mysterious Bird' |date=2022-06-13 |publisher=Pencil |isbn=978-93-5610-605-5 |language=en}}</ref> although in ancient times they were associated with death.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Soni |first=Dr Hiren B. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p0V0EAAAQBAJ&pg=PA31 |title=Owl: The Mysterious Bird |language=en}}</ref>

===Mesopotamia===
In Sumerian, Akkadian, and Babylonian culture, the owl was associated with [[Lilith]].<ref>''Sex and gender in the ancient Near East: proceedings of the 47th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale'', Helsinki, July 2–6, 2001, Part 2 p. 481.</ref>

===Europe===
The [[Western culture|modern West]] generally associates owls with [[wisdom]] and [[Alertness|vigilance]]. This link goes back at least as far as [[Ancient Greece]], where [[Athens]], noted for art and scholarship, and [[Athena]], Athens' patron goddess and the goddess of wisdom, had [[Owl of Athena|the owl]] as a symbol.<ref name="Deacy, Susan 2001">Deacy, Susan, and Villing, Alexandra (2001). Athena in the Classical World. Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands, {{ISBN|90-04-12142-0}}.</ref> [[Marija Gimbutas]] traces veneration of the owl as a goddess, among other birds, to the culture of [[Old European culture|Old Europe]], long pre-dating [[Proto-Indo-Europeans|Indo-European]] cultures.<ref>Gimbutas, Marija (2001) ''The living goddesses'', University of California Press, [https://books.google.com/books?id=7DfI39EDbMcC&pg=PA158 p. 158]. {{ISBN|0-520-92709-5}}.</ref>

In medieval Europe, the owl was often used with more negative symbolism. The bird was associated with darkness, uncleanliness, and mourning. The bird was linked to the [[bubonic plague]]. Owls were even used as anti-Semitic caricatures of Jews.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=March 17, 2016 |title=Owls: Always a Hoot? |url=https://sites.nd.edu/manuscript-studies/tag/owl/ |website=University of Notre Dame |publisher=University of Notre Dame's Medieval Institute |access-date=February 11, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Chevalier |first=Lorris |date=August 2024 |title=Birds of Night: The Role of the Owl in Medieval European Anti-Judaism
 |url=https://www.medievalists.net/2024/08/birds-of-night-the-role-of-the-owl-in-medieval-european-anti-judaism/ |website=Medievalists.net |access-date=February 11, 2025}}</ref>

[[T. F. Thiselton-Dyer]], in his 1883 ''Folk-lore of Shakespeare'', says that <blockquote>from the earliest period it has been considered a bird of ill-omen," and [[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]] tells us how, on one occasion, even [[Rome]] itself underwent a [[lustratio]]n, because one of them strayed into the Capitol. He represents it also as a funereal bird, a monster of the night, the very abomination of humankind. [[Virgil]] describes its death howl from the top of the temple by night, a circumstance introduced as a precursor of [[Dido]]'s death. [[Ovid]], too, constantly speaks of this bird's presence as an evil omen; and indeed the same notions respecting it may be found among the writings of most of the ancient poets.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Thiselton-Dyer |first1=T. F. |date=1883 |url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/sks/flos/flos08.htm |work=Folk-lore of Shakespeare |publisher=Internet Sacred Text Archive |title=Chapter VI. Birds. |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907193320/https://sacred-texts.com/sks/flos/flos08.htm |archive-date= Sep 7, 2023 }}</ref></blockquote>

=== Native American cultures ===
People often allude to the reputation of owls as bearers of supernatural danger when they tell misbehaving children, "the owls will get you",<ref>{{cite journal|author=Lenders, E. W. |title=The Myth of the 'Wah-ru-hap-ah-rah,' or the Sacred Warclub Bundle|journal=Zeitschrift für Ethnologie|volume= 46 |year=1914|pages= 404–420 (409)}}</ref> and in most Native American folklore, owls are a symbol of death.

According to the [[Apache]] and [[Seminole]] tribes, hearing owls hooting is considered the subject of numerous "[[bogeyman]]" stories told to warn children to remain indoors at night or not to cry too much, otherwise the owl may carry them away.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.native-languages.org/morelegends/stikini.htm |title=Stikini, an owl monster of Seminole folklore|website= Native-languages.org|access-date=2015-10-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.native-languages.org/big-owl.htm |title=Big Owl (Owl-Man), a malevolent Apache monster|website= Native-languages.org|access-date=2015-10-25}}</ref> In some tribal legends, owls are associated with [[Ghost|spirits of the dead]], and the bony circles around an owl's eyes are said to comprise the fingernails of apparitional humans. Sometimes owls are said to carry messages from beyond the grave or deliver supernatural warnings to people who have broken tribal taboos.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.native-languages.org/legends-owl.htm |title=Native American Indian Owl Legends, Meaning and Symbolism from the Myths of Many Tribes|website= Native-languages.org |date= 25 July 2008|access-date=2015-10-25}}</ref>

The [[Aztec]]s and the [[Maya civilization|Maya]], along with other natives of [[Mesoamerica]], considered the owl a symbol of death and destruction. In fact, the Aztec god of death, [[Mictlantecuhtli]], was often depicted with owls.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Cartwright |first1=Mark |website=[[World History Encyclopedia]]|url=https://www.worldhistory.org/Mictlantecuhtli/|title=Mictlantecuhtli |date=22 September 2013 }}</ref> There is an old saying in [[Mexico]] that is still in use:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cronica.com.mx/especial.php?id_tema=1010&id_nota=375192 |title=Cuando el tecolote canta, el indio muere |work=La Cronica |date=27 July 2008 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100903110238/http://cronica.com.mx/especial.php?id_tema=1010&id_nota=375192 |archive-date= 3 September 2010 }}</ref> ''Cuando el tecolote canta, el indio muere'' ("When the owl cries/sings, the Indian dies"). The ''[[Popol Vuh]]'', a Mayan religious text, describes owls as messengers of [[Xibalba]] (the Mayan "Place of Fright").<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.meta-religion.com/World_Religions/Ancient_religions/Central_america/popol_vuh.htm|title=The Popol Vuh|access-date=2008-07-23|publisher=meta-religion.com}}</ref>

The belief that owls are messengers and harbingers of the dark powers is also found among the [[Ho-Chunk|Hočągara]] (Winnebago) of Wisconsin.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://hotcakencyclopedia.com/ho.Owls.html |title=Owls|encyclopedia=Hočąk Encyclopedia}}</ref> When in earlier days the Hočągara committed the sin of killing enemies while they were within the sanctuary of the chief's lodge, an owl appeared and spoke to them in the voice of a human, saying, "From now on, the Hočągara will have no luck." This marked the beginning of the decline of their tribe.<ref>Radin, Paul (1990 [1923]) ''The Winnebago Tribe'', Lincoln: [[University of Nebraska Press]], pp. 7–9 {{ISBN|0-8032-5710-4}}.</ref> An owl appeared to [[Glory of the Morning]], the only female chief of the Hočąk nation, and uttered her name. Soon after, she died.<ref>Smith, David Lee (1997) ''Folklore of the Winnebago Tribe'', Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, p. 160</ref><ref>[http://hotcakencyclopedia.com/ho.GloryOfMorning.html "Glory of the Morning"], ''Hočąk Encyclopedia''.</ref>

According to the culture of the [[Hopi]], a [[Uto-Aztecan languages|Uto-Aztec]] tribe, taboos surround owls, which are associated with sorcery and other evils.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

The [[Ojibwe]] tribes, as well as their [[Aboriginal peoples in Canada|Aboriginal Canadian]] counterparts, used an owl as a symbol for both evil and death. In addition, they used owls as a symbol of very high status of spiritual leaders of their spirituality.<ref name="Owls in Lore and Culture">{{cite web|url=http://www.owlpages.com/articles.php?section=owl+mythology&title=owls+lore+culture&page=3 |title=Owls in Lore and Culture |page =3|website= The Owl Pages |date= 31 October 2012|access-date=2015-10-25}}</ref>

The [[Pawnee people|Pawnee]] tribes viewed owls as the symbol of protection from any danger within their realms.<ref name="Owls in Lore and Culture"/>

The [[Puebloan peoples]] associated owls with Skeleton Man, the god of death and the spirit of fertility.<ref name="Owls in Lore and Culture"/>

The [[Yakama]] tribes use an owl as a totem, to guide where and how forests and natural resources are useful with management.<ref name="Owls in Lore and Culture"/>

== Rodent control ==
[[File:Owlery at Morton on the Hill - geograph.org.uk - 532355.jpg|thumb|upright|A purpose-built owl-house or owlery at a farm near [[Morton on the Hill]], England (2006)]]

Encouraging natural predators to control rodent population is a natural form of pest control, along with excluding food sources for rodents. Placing a [[nest box]] for owls on a property can help control rodent populations (one family of hungry barn owls can consume more than 3,000 rodents in a nesting season) while maintaining the naturally balanced food chain.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hungryowls.org/ |title=The Hungry Owl Project |publisher=Hungryowl.org |access-date=9 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030813081933/http://www.hungryowl.org/ |archive-date=13 August 2003 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Conservation issues ==
{{See also|List of Strigiformes by population}}

[[File:Bubo scandiacus (Linnaeus, 1758) Male.jpg|thumb|upright|left|The [[snowy owl]] is very [[endangered]] in [[Scandinavia]]<ref>{{cite book |author=Juvonen, Arto |author2=Muukkonen, Tomi |author3=Peltomäki, Jari |author4=Varesvuo, Markku | title = Linnut vauhdissa | year = 2009 | pages = 178, 187 | publisher = Tammi | language = fi | isbn = 978-951-31-4604-7 }}</ref> and [[Finland]], where it is found only in northern [[Lapland (Finland)|Lapland]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Harrison, Colin |author2=Greensmith, Alan | title = Koko maailman linnut |translator=Laine, Lasse J. |translator2=Nikander, Pekka | year = 1995 | page = 198 | publisher = Helsinki Media | language = fi | isbn = 951-875-637-6 }}</ref>]]

Almost all owls are listed in Appendix II of the international [[CITES]] treaty (the Convention on Illegal Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) with four species listed in Appendix I. Although owls have long been hunted, a 2008 news story from Malaysia indicates that the magnitude of owl [[poaching]] may be on the rise. In November 2008, [[Traffic (conservation programme)|TRAFFIC]] reported the seizure of 900 plucked and "oven-ready" owls in Peninsular [[Malaysia]]. Said Chris Shepherd, Senior Programme Officer for TRAFFIC's Southeast Asia office, "This is the first time we know of where 'ready-prepared' owls have been seized in Malaysia, and it may mark the start of a new trend in wild meat from the region. We will be monitoring developments closely." TRAFFIC commended the Department of Wildlife and National Parks in Malaysia for the raid that exposed the huge haul of owls. Included in the seizure were dead and plucked barn owls, spotted wood owls, crested serpent eagles, barred eagles, and brown wood owls, as well as 7,000 live lizards.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.traffic.org/home/2008/11/12/huge-haul-of-dead-owls-and-live-lizards-in-peninsular-malays.html |title=Wildlife Trade News – Huge haul of dead owls and live lizards in Peninsular Malaysia |publisher=[[Traffic (conservation programme)|TRAFFIC]] |date=12 November 2008 }}</ref>

In addition to hunting, other threats to owl populations are [[habitat loss]], [[pesticides]], [[viruses]], and vehicle collisions.<ref>{{cite web |title=Owls of the United States: A List of all Species |date=21 Jan 2020 |access-date=12 Feb 2023 |website=American Bird Conservancy |author=Joe Lowe |url=https://abcbirds.org/blog20/owl-species-united-states/ |archive-date=21 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220921204920/https://abcbirds.org/blog20/owl-species-united-states/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Owls Endangered |website=Owl Worlds |date=4 February 2014 |format=Webpage or PDF |url=https://www.owlworlds.com/owls-endangered/#:~:text=Owl%20Endangered%20Species,population%20that%20is%20very%20low.}}</ref>

{{Clear}}<!-- Please keep this Clear line as, without it, the Reflist below failed to use two columns. -->

== References ==
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<ref name=Alvarenga>{{cite journal|author1=Alvarenga, Herculano M. F.  |author2=Höfling, Elizabeth  |name-list-style=amp |year=2003|title= Systematic revision of the Phorusrhacidae (Aves: Ralliformes)|journal=Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia|doi=10.1590/S0031-10492003000400001 |volume=43|issue=4|pages= 55–91|doi-access=free}}</ref>

<ref name=Alvarenga2>Larco Herrera, Rafael and Berrin, Kathleen (1997) ''The Spirit of Ancient Peru'' [[Thames and Hudson]], New York, {{ISBN|0-500-01802-2}}.</ref>

<ref name="Bachmann2007">{{cite journal|author1=Bachmann T. |author2=Klän S. |author3=Baughmgartner W. |author4=Klaas M. |author5=Schröder W. |author6=Wagner H.  |name-list-style=amp |year=2007|title= Morphometric characterisation of wing feathers of the barn owl ''Tyto alba pratincola'' and the pigeon ''Columba livia''|journal=Frontiers in Zoology|volume=4|page= 23|doi=10.1186/1742-9994-4-23|pmid=18031576|pmc=2211483 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

<ref name="Einoder2007">{{cite journal|author1=Einoder, Luke D.  |author2=Alastair M. M. Richardson  |name-list-style=amp |year=2007|title= Aspects of the Hindlimb Morphology of Some Australian Birds of Prey: A Comparative and Quantitative Study|journal=The Auk|volume=124|issue=3|pages=773–788|doi=10.1642/0004-8038(2007)124[773:AOTHMO]2.0.CO;2|s2cid=86011581 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

<ref name=Hughes>{{cite journal|author=Hughes A. |year=1979|title= A schematic eye for the rat|journal= Vision Res|volume=19|pages=569–588|pmid=483586|doi=10.1016/0042-6989(79)90143-3|issue=5|s2cid=10317667}}</ref>

<ref name="Marti1974">{{cite journal|author=Marti, C. D.|year=1974|url=http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/condor/v076n01/p0045-p0061.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/condor/v076n01/p0045-p0061.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |title= Feeding Ecology of Four Sympatric Owls|journal=The Condor|volume=76|issue=1|pages=45–61|doi=10.2307/1365983|jstor=1365983}}</ref>

<ref name="Martin1982">{{cite journal|author=Martin G.R. |year=1982|title= An owl's eye: schematic optics and visual performance in ''Strix aluco'' L|journal=J Comp Physiol|volume=145|pages=341–349|doi=10.1007/BF00619338|issue=3|s2cid=35039625}}</ref>

<ref name=Mayr>{{cite journal|author=Mayr, Gerald |year=2005|title= "Old World phorusrhacids" (Aves, Phorusrhacidae): a new look at ''Strigogyps'' ("''Aenigmavis''") ''sapea'' (Peters 1987)|journal=PaleoBios|volume=25|issue=1|pages= 11–16|url=http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/science/paleobios/abstracts_21to25.php}}</ref>

<ref name="Neuhaus1973">{{cite journal|author1=Neuhaus W. |author2=Bretting H. |author3=Schweizer B.  |name-list-style=amp |year=1973|title= Morphologische und funktionelle Untersuchungen über den, lautlosen" Flug der Eulen ''(strix aluco)'' im Vergleich zum Flug der Enten ''(Anas platyrhynchos)''|journal=Biologisches Zentralblatt|volume=92|pages=495–512}}</ref>

<ref name=Norberg>{{cite journal|author=Norberg, R.A. |date=31 August 1977|title= Occurrence and independent evolution of bilateral ear asymmetry in owls and implications on owl taxonomy|journal=Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences|volume=280|pages=375–408|doi=10.1098/rstb.1977.0116|issue=973|bibcode=1977RSPTB.280..375N|doi-access=}}</ref>

<ref name=Peters>{{cite journal|author=Peters, Dieter Stefan |date=January 2007|title=The fossil family Ameghinornithidae (Mourer-Chauviré 1981): a short synopsis|url=http://www2.nrm.se/ve/birds/sape/GlobalOwlProject/Fossil_owls/Peters%202007.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www2.nrm.se/ve/birds/sape/GlobalOwlProject/Fossil_owls/Peters%202007.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|journal=Journal of Ornithology|volume=148|issue=1|pages=25–28|doi=10.1007/s10336-006-0095-z|bibcode=2007JOrni.148...25P |s2cid=27322057}}</ref>

<ref name=Sanchez>{{cite journal|author=Sánchez Marco, Antonio |year=2004|title= Avian zoogeographical patterns during the Quaternary in the Mediterranean region and paleoclimatic interpretation|journal=Ardeola|volume=51|issue=1|pages= 91–132|url=http://avesfosiles.com/PDFs/Ref_57.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://avesfosiles.com/PDFs/Ref_57.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="König1999">König, Claus, Friedhelm Weick & Jan-Hendrik Becking (1999). Owls: A guide to the owls of the world. Yale Univ Press, 1999. {{ISBN|0-300-07920-6}}</ref>

<!--ref name="Lewis2007">Lewis, Deane P. (2007): [http://www.owlpages.com/articles.php?section=Owl+Physiology&title=Hearing Owl ears and hearing]. Owl Pages.</ref-->

<ref name=Mortimer>Mortimer, Michael (2004): The Theropod Database: [http://archosaur.us/theropoddatabase/Phylogeny%20of%20Taxa.html Phylogeny of taxa] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516175802/http://archosaur.us/theropoddatabase/Phylogeny%20of%20Taxa.html |date=16 May 2013 }}. Retrieved 2013-03-02.</ref>

<ref name=Olson>[[Storrs Olson|Olson, Storrs L.]] (1985): The fossil record of birds. ''In:'' Farner, D.S.; King, J.R. & Parkes, Kenneth C. (eds.): ''Avian Biology'' '''8''': 79–238 (131, 267). Academic Press, New York.</ref>

<ref name="Walls1942">Walls G.L. (1942) [https://archive.org/details/vertebrateeyeits00wall The vertebrate eye and its adaptive radiation], Cranbook Institute of Science.</ref>

<ref name=Willott>Willott J.F. (2001) Handbook of Mouse Auditory Research CRC Press {{ISBN|1-4200-3873-7}}.</ref>
}}

== Further reading ==
<!-- Emu102:223 http://www.owlpages.com/articles.php?section=Studies+and+Papers&title=Fossils -->

* Calaprice, Alice & [[Bernd Heinrich|Heinrich, Bernd]] (1990): ''Owl in the House: A Naturalist's Diary''. Joy Street Books, Boston. {{ISBN|0-316-35456-2}}.
* Duncan, James (2013). ''The Complete Book of North American Owls.'' Thunder Bay Press, San Diego. {{ISBN|978-1-60710-726-2}}.
* Duncan, James (2003). ''Owls of the World''. Key Porter Books, Toronto. {{ISBN|1-55263-214-8}}.
* [[Bernd Heinrich|Heinrich, Bernd]] (1987): ''One Man's Owl''. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-691-08470-1}}. {{OCLC|15486687}}.
* [[Paul Johnsgard|Johnsgard, Paul A.]] (2002): ''North American Owls: Biology and Natural History'', 2nd ed. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. {{ISBN|1-56098-939-4}}.
* Maslow, Jonathan Evan (1983): ''The Owl Papers'', 1st Vintage Books ed. Vintage Books, New York. {{ISBN|0-394-75813-7}}.
* [[Charles Sibley|Sibley, Charles Gald]] & Monroe, Burt L. Jr. (1990): ''Distribution and taxonomy of the birds of the world: A Study in Molecular Evolution''. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. {{ISBN|0-300-04969-2}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Strigiformes}}
{{Wikispecies|Strigiformes}}
{{Wiktionary|owl}}
* [http://www.owlpages.com/index.php The Owl Pages]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101116053812/http://brainmaps.org/index.php?p=speciesdata&species=tyto-alba Owl Brain Atlas]
* [http://www.mnh.si.edu/arctic/html/owl.html Smithsonian Snowy Owl Info] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991127124042/http://www.mnh.si.edu/arctic/html/owl.html |date=27 November 1999 }}
* [http://www.owls.org World Owl Trust]
* [http://rg.ancients.info/owls Athenian Owl coins]

'''Eurasia:'''
* [http://www.worldofowls.com World of Owls] – Northern Ireland's only owl, bird of prey and exotic animal centre
* [http://www.fishowls.com/ Current Blakiston's Fish Owl Research in Russia]

'''North America:'''
* [http://www.birdwatching-bliss.com/owl-pictures.html List of Owl Species Breeding In North American and Owl Photos]

'''Oceania:'''
* [http://home.iprimus.com.au/readman/owls.htm iprimus] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070208222739/http://home.iprimus.com.au/readman/owls.htm |date=8 February 2007 }} info. re Australian owls and [[frogmouth]]s

{{Birds}}
{{Strigiformes|S.|state=collapsed}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q25222}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Owls| ]]
[[Category:Extant Paleocene first appearances]]