Owl

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For other uses, see Owl (disambiguation).

Owl Temporal range: Late Paleocene–Recent PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Little Owl (Athene noctua)
Otus jolandae call
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Superorder:	Strigimorphae
Order:	Strigiformes Wagler, 1830
Families
Strigidae Tytonidae Ogygoptyngidae (fossil) Palaeoglaucidae (fossil) Protostrigidae (fossil) Sophiornithidae (fossil)
Range of the Owl, all species.
Synonyms
Strigidae sensu Sibley & Ahlquist

Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 extant bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions (e.g., the Northern Hawk Owl). 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 Antarctica, most of Greenland and some remote islands. Owls are characterized by their small beaks and wide faces, and are divided into two families: the typical owls, Strigidae; and the barn-owls, Tytonidae.