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List of Owl Species

© Andy Chilton

By Nick Askew

A List of Owl species from around the world. Living owls are divided into two families: the typical owls, Strigidae; and the barn-owls, Tytonidae. The owls in the list are the order Strigiformes, comprising around 200 extant bird of prey species. Members of the owl family hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, though a few species specialize in hunting fish. They are found in all regions of the Earth except Antarctica, most of Greenland, and some remote islands. Though owls are typically solitary, the literary collective noun for a group of owls is a parliament.

Western Screech-owl Megascops kennicottiiLC Rock Eagle-owl Bubo bengalensisLC Long-whiskered Owlet Xenoglaux loweryiEN
Balsas Screech-owl Megascops seductusNT Pharaoh Eagle-owl Bubo ascalaphusLC Elf Owl Micrathene whitneyiLC
Pacific Screech-owl Megascops cooperiLC Cape Eagle-owl Bubo capensisLC Little Owl Athene noctuaLC
Eastern Screech-owl Megascops asioLC Spotted Eagle-owl Bubo africanusLC Spotted Owlet Athene bramaLC
Whiskered Screech-owl Megascops trichopsisLC Fraser’s Eagle-owl Bubo poensisLC Burrowing Owl Athene cuniculariaLC
Tropical Screech-owl Megascops cholibaLC Usambara Eagle-owl Bubo vosseleriVU Forest Owlet Heteroglaux blewittiCR
Koepcke’s Screech-owl Megascops koepckeaeLC Spot-bellied Eagle-owl Bubo nipalensisLC Boreal Owl Aegolius funereusLC
West Peruvian Screech-owl Megascops roboratusLC Barred Eagle-owl Bubo sumatranusLC Northern Saw-whet Owl Aegolius acadicusLC
Bare-shanked Screech-owl Megascops clarkiiLC Shelley’s Eagle-owl Bubo shelleyiNT Southern Saw-whet Owl Aegolius ridgwayiLC
Bearded Screech-owl Megascops barbarusNT Giant Eagle-owl Bubo lacteusLC Buff-fronted Owl Aegolius harrisiiLC
Rufescent Screech-owl Megascops ingensLC Dusky Eagle-owl Bubo coromandusLC Rufous Owl Ninox rufaLC
Colombian Screech-owl Megascops colombianusNT Akun Eagle-owl Bubo leucostictusLC Powerful Owl Ninox strenuaLC
Cinnamon Screech-owl Megascops petersoniLC Philippine Eagle-owl Bubo philippensisVU Barking Owl Ninox connivensLC
Cloud-forest Screech-owl Megascops marshalliNT Blakiston’s Fish-owl Ketupa blakistoniEN Sumba Boobook Ninox rudolfiNT
Tawny-bellied Screech-owl Megascops watsoniiLC Brown Fish-owl Ketupa zeylonensisLC Southern Boobook Ninox novaeseelandiaeLC
Black-capped Screech-owl Megascops atricapillaLC Tawny Fish-owl Ketupa flavipesLC Little Sumba Hawk-owl Ninox sumbaensisNT
Vermiculated Screech-owl Megascops guatemalaeLC Buffy Fish-owl Ketupa ketupuLC Brown Hawk-owl Ninox scutulataLC
Montane Forest Screech-owl Megascops hoyiLC Pel’s Fishing-owl Scotopelia peliLC Andaman Hawk-owl Ninox affinisNT
Long-tufted Screech-owl Megascops sanctaecatarinaeLC Rufous Fishing-owl Scotopelia ussheriEN White-browed Hawk-owl Ninox superciliarisLC
Puerto Rican Screech-owl Megascops nudipesLC Vermiculated Fishing-owl Scotopelia bouvieriLC Philippine Hawk-owl Ninox philippensisLC
White-throated Screech-owl Megascops albogularisLC Spotted Wood-owl Strix seloputoLC Cinnabar Hawk-owl Ninox iosVU
Reunion Owl Mascarenotus gruchetiEX Mottled Wood-owl Strix ocellataLC Ochre-bellied Hawk-owl Ninox ochraceaNT
Rodrigues Owl Mascarenotus murivorusEX Brown Wood-owl Strix leptogrammicaLC Togian Hawk-owl Ninox burhaniNT
Mauritius Owl Mascarenotus sauzieriEX Tawny Owl Strix alucoLC Moluccan Hawk-owl Ninox squamipilaLC
White-fronted Scops-owl Otus sagittatusVU Hume’s Owl Strix butleriLC Christmas Island Hawk-owl Ninox natalisVU
Reddish Scops-owl Otus rufescensNT Spotted Owl Strix occidentalisNT Jungle Hawk-owl Ninox theomachaLC
Sandy Scops-owl Otus icterorhynchusLC Barred Owl Strix variaLC Manus Hawk-owl Ninox meekiLC
Sokoke Scops-owl Otus ireneaeEN Fulvous Owl Strix fulvescensLC Speckled Hawk-owl Ninox punctulataLC
Andaman Scops-owl Otus balliNT Rusty-barred Owl Strix hylophilaNT Bismarck Hawk-owl Ninox variegataLC
Mountain Scops-owl Otus spilocephalusLC Rufous-legged Owl Strix rufipesLC Russet Hawk-owl Ninox odiosaVU
Serendib Scops-owl Otus thilohoffmanniEN Chaco Owl Strix chacoensisLC Solomons Hawk-owl Ninox jacquinotiLC
Simeulue Scops-owl Otus umbraNT Ural Owl Strix uralensisLC Papuan Hawk-owl Uroglaux dimorphaDD
Javan Scops-owl Otus angelinaeVU Great Grey Owl Strix nebulosaLC Laughing Owl Sceloglaux albifaciesEX
Sulawesi Scops-owl Otus manadensisLC African Wood-owl Strix woodfordiiLC Jamaican Owl Pseudoscops grammicusLC
Sangihe Scops-owl Otus collariLC Mottled Owl Strix virgataLC Striped Owl Pseudoscops clamatorLC
Luzon Scops-owl Otus longicornisNT Black-and-white Owl Strix nigrolineataLC Fearful Owl Nesasio solomonensisVU
Mindoro Scops-owl Otus mindorensisNT Black-banded Owl Strix huhulaLC Stygian Owl Asio stygiusLC
Mindanao Scops-owl Otus mirusNT Rufous-banded Owl Strix albitarsisLC Long-eared Owl Asio otusLC
Sao Tome Scops-owl Otus hartlaubiVU Maned Owl Jubula lettiiDD Abyssinian Owl Asio abyssinicusLC
Pallid Scops-owl Otus bruceiLC Crested Owl Lophostrix cristataLC Madagascar Owl Asio madagascariensisLC
Flammulated Owl Otus flammeolusLC Spectacled Owl Pulsatrix perspicillataLC Short-eared Owl Asio flammeusLC
Common Scops-owl Otus scopsLC Band-bellied Owl Pulsatrix melanotaLC Marsh Owl Asio capensisLC
African Scops-owl Otus senegalensisLC Tawny-browed Owl Pulsatrix koeniswaldianaLC Sooty Owl Tyto tenebricosaLC
Oriental Scops-owl Otus suniaLC Northern Hawk Owl Surnia ululaLC Sulawesi Golden Owl Tyto inexspectataVU
Nicobar Scops-owl Otus aliusDD Eurasian Pygmy-owl Glaucidium passerinumLC Taliabu Masked-owl Tyto nigrobrunneaEN
Elegant Scops-owl Otus elegansNT Collared Owlet Glaucidium brodieiLC Lesser Masked-owl Tyto sororculaDD
Mantanani Scops-owl Otus mantananensisNT Pearl-spotted Owlet Glaucidium perlatumLC Manus Masked-owl Tyto manusiVU
Moluccan Scops-owl Otus magicusLC Northern Pygmy-owl Glaucidium gnomaLC Bismarck Masked-owl Tyto aurantiaVU
Flores Scops-owl Otus alfrediEN Andean Pygmy-owl Glaucidium jardiniiLC Australian Masked-owl Tyto novaehollandiaeLC
Siau Scops-owl Otus siaoensisCR Costa Rican Pygmy-owl Glaucidium costaricanumLC Sulawesi Owl Tyto rosenbergiiLC
Enggano Scops-owl Otus enganensisNT Cloud-forest Pygmy-owl Glaucidium nubicolaVU Madagascar Red Owl Tyto soumagneiVU
Seychelles Scops-owl Otus insularisEN Yungas Pygmy-owl Glaucidium bolivianumLC Barn Owl Tyto albaLC
Biak Scops-owl Otus beccariiEN Pernambuco Pygmy-owl Glaucidium mooreorumCR Ashy-faced Owl Tyto glaucopsLC
Malagasy Scops-owl Otus rutilusLC Amazonian Pygmy-owl Glaucidium hardyiLC African Grass-owl Tyto capensisLC
Pemba Scops-owl Otus pembaensisVU Least Pygmy-owl Glaucidium minutissimumLC Eastern Grass-owl Tyto longimembrisLC
Anjouan Scops-owl Otus capnodesCR Central American Pygmy-owl Glaucidium griseicepsLC Congo Bay-owl Phodilus prigogineiEN
Mayotte Scops-owl Otus mayottensisLC Tamaulipas Pygmy-owl Glaucidium sancheziLC Oriental Bay-owl Phodilus badiusLC
Moheli Scops-owl Otus moheliensisCR Colima Pygmy-owl Glaucidium palmarumLC   
Grand Comoro Scops-owl Otus paulianiCR Subtropical Pygmy-owl Glaucidium parkeriLC   
Rajah Scops-owl Otus brookiiLC Ferruginous Pygmy-owl Glaucidium brasilianumLC   
Collared Scops-owl Otus bakkamoenaLC Peruvian Pygmy-owl Glaucidium peruanumLC   
Mentawai Scops-owl Otus mentawiNT Austral Pygmy-owl Glaucidium nanumLC   
Palawan Scops-owl Otus fuliginosusNT Cuban Pygmy-owl Glaucidium sijuLC   
Philippine Scops-owl Otus megalotisLC Red-chested Owlet Glaucidium tephronotumLC   
Wallace’s Scops-owl Otus silvicolaLC Sjostedt’s Owlet Glaucidium sjostedtiLC   
White-faced Scops-owl Otus leucotisLC Asian Barred Owlet Glaucidium cuculoidesLC   
Palau Scops-owl Otus podarginusLC Javan Owlet Glaucidium castanopterumLC   
Bare-legged Owl Gymnoglaux lawrenciiLC Jungle Owlet Glaucidium radiatumLC   
Giant Scops-owl Mimizuku gurneyiVU Chestnut-backed Owlet Glaucidium castanonotumNT   
Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacaLC Chestnut Owlet Glaucidium castaneumLC   
Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianusLC African Barred Owlet Glaucidium capenseLC   
Eurasian Eagle-owl Bubo buboLC Albertine Owlet Glaucidium albertinumVU   

Credit: List of owl species (Amir Ezer).


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