Owls are primarily nocturnal birds that are typically confused with owls. Both creatures are the cause of the Strigiformes order, but there are clear morphological differences between them.
These birds are one of the oldest in the world, as there are fossil examples that date back to the Eocene, 65 million years ago. This creature has developed in different ways until it was distributed all over the world. Do you know the types of owls that exist? In this article we talk about them. Keep reading!
The owls belong to the order Strigiformes, which is divided into 2 families:
Strigidae.
Tytonidae.
They exist since the Eocene, 65 million years ago, and it is pretty likely that their number has multiplied during the Tertiary period, thanks to the magnifying of mammals. It is possible to see them all over the world, except for Antarctica and oceanic islands; however, their number is more abundant in tropical territories, where 35% of the creatures meet.
Owls measure between 14 and eighty centimeters. Their habits can be arboreal or terrestrial, most of the creatures are nocturnal, although there are also some daytime ones.
Morphology of the owl
As for the morphology of the owl, they have the following characteristics:
Eyes found forward, contrary to the rest of the birds (on the sides of the head).
Stereoscopic vision.
Its head rotates up to 270 degrees.
The eyes are accommodated for environments with low light.
Dense and smooth plumage.
Asymmetric ear, which helps to locate the prey in the middle of the darkness.
How a lot of types of owls are there?
There are 250 creatures of owls and owls. The kin Strigidae contains three subfamilies:
Asioninae.
Striginae.
Surniinae.
These subfamilies have various genera that we will detail below to tell you about the different types of owls.
Types of owls of the subfamily Asioninae
We commence with the owls of the type Asioninae. The dominant owls of this subfamily are the following:
Owls of the genus Asio
In the genus, Asio is the named eared owls. They are creatures of wide distribution since it is possible to see them in Europe, America, Asia, and even in some islands, for example, the Galapagos.
These owls measure up to 17 inches high and are simple to distinguish, as they have feathers that grow to the sides of the head, similar to ears. They are nocturnal and feed on little mammals.
Some creatures of owls of the genus Asio are:
Asio capensis.
Asio otus otus.
Asio stygius.
In this other article of we show you more Nocturnal birds of prey — Names and examples.
Owls of the genus Nesasio
This genus contains only one creature, Solomon’s owl (Nesasio solomonensis). It is endemic to the Solomon Islands (Oceania), where it lives in forested areas. It is a tree creature, sizing up to thirty cm and its plumage is reddish with white eyebrows.
Owls of the genus Pseudoscops
To the genus, Pseudoscops belong owls characterized by a marked dorsal skull, which causes the head to have a more triangular shape, instead of round. It is a more primitive creature than the genus Asio.
Only 2 creatures of owls belong to this genus:
Pseudoscops clamator.
Pseudoscops grammicus.
Owl of the genus Bubo
The genus Bubo includes the largest owls. They are distributed in Asia, Europe, and America, where they stand out for the diversity of their appearances. Despite this, owls have a mottled plumage with white grounds and some creatures have remote “ears”.
The following are creatures of owls of the genus Owl:
Bubo cinerascens.
Bubo flavipes.
Bubo magellanicus.
Bubo philippensis.
You may also be interested in this other article on the Eagle Owl Feeding, another of the most popular European owls that exist.
Types of owls of the subfamily Striginae
As you can witness, nowadays the vast majority of owls belong to the subfamily Striginae. Few of them are the following:
Owls of the genus Jubula
Only one creature makes up the genus Jubula, the maned owl (Jubula lettii). It is distributed in diverse countries in Africa, including the Congo, Gabon, and Ghana. It lives in evergreen forests. Fine is referred about its habits, although there is the possibility that it is an insectivore.
Owls of the genus Ketupa
Among the types of owls, those are the cause of the genus Ketupa is recognized by being fishermen. They are owls from Asia, where they are widely distributed on grounds with water sources. The creatures rise between 50 and 60 centimeters in height.
Three owls belong to the genus Ketupa:
Ketupa flavipes.
Ketupa ketupu.
Ketupa zeylonensis.
Owls of the genus Lophostrix
Only one creature belonging to the genus Lophostrix, the white-horned owl (Lophostrix cristata). It is distributed in Central and South America, where it has nocturnal habits. The creature measures up to 15 inches and is simple to distinguish since it has remote eyebrows that rise the “ears”; thanks to this, the owl’s face has an unmistakable expression.
Currently, the IUCN classifies these creatures as of minor concern.
Owls of the genus Margarobyas
The genus Margarobyas also consists of one creature, the cuckoo or Sikh owl (Margarobyas lawrencii). This owl is endemic to Cuba, where it lives in the forests. The creatures are nocturnal and measure up to 22 cm in height, it stands out for its eyes: chestnut, round, and pretty vivid, which give it a tender appearance.
Owls of the genus Mascarenotus
The owls of the genus Mascarenotus are extinct. They resided in the Mascarene Islands found in the Indian Ocean. The creatures were described during the 19th century thanks to fossils discovered, but it is estimated that they vanished at the finish of the 17th century.
The owls that were the cause of this genus are:
Mascarenotus grucheti.
Mascarenotus murivorus.
Mascarenotus sauzieri.
In the attached illustration, we can catch a glance of a representation of an owl Mascarenotus murivorus.
Owls of the genus Megascops
The genus Megascops includes little owls that inhabit North America. They are nocturnal and feed on insects and little mammals. They are recognized by their primarily chestnut plumage, which helps them to camouflage themselves with the trees.
Some types of owls of the genus Megascops are
Megascops albogularis.
Megascops asio.
Megascops atricapilla.
Megascops barbarus.
Megascops centralis.
Megascops choliba.
Owls of the genus Otus
The genus Otus includes a wide number of creatures of owls. In a lot of countries, they are named owls or owls, when in fact they are small-sized owls.
The birds of the genus Otus have nocturnal habits and live in North America and Mexico. These are some of the creatures included:
Otus nigrorum.
Otus pamelae.
Otus pauliani.
Otus pembaensis.
Otus rufescens.
Otus rutilus.
Otus sagittatus.
Otus scops.
Owls of the genus Psiloscops
Another of the types of owls that make up a genus of their own is the flaming owl (Psiloscops flammeolus). This is another little owl, similar to those that are the cause of the genus Otus.
The flaming owl is distributed in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Guatemala, where it lives in forests. It measures 17 centimeters and its eyes are dark, the iris is difficult to appreciate.
Owls of the genus Ptilopsis
The genus Ptilopsis includes only 2 creatures of owls, both original to Africa. It is simple to recognize them, because the plumage is a combination of white and silver, with some darker areas. The eyes are yellow or orange.
The 2 creatures of Ptilopsis owls are:
Ptilopsis leucotis.
Ptilopsis granti.
Owls of the genus Pulsatrix
Owls of the genus Pulsatrix are distributed in Central and South America. They are creatures that rise 60 cm in height and whose plumage forms a mask that surrounds the eyes; thanks to this peculiarity, they are simple to recognize.
Only three creatures of owls belong to this genus:
Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana.
Pulsatrix melanota.
Pulsatrix perspicillata.
Owls of the genus Pyrroglaux
The genus Pyrroglaux also consists of an owl creature, the Palau owl (Pyrroglaux podargina). This owl is endemic to Palau, near Micronesia (Oceania). Fine is referred to as its habits and distribution within the island. The IUCN classifies it as a creature of minor conservation concern.
Owls of the genus Scotopelia
The genus Scotopelia is made up of only three creatures of owls distributed in Africa. In Spanish, they are named tawny owls. These creatures are also fishermen and have a primarily chestnut plumage.
The three creatures of Tawny Owls are:
Scotopelia bouvieri.
Scotopelia peli.
Scotopelia ussheri.
Owls of the genus Strix
The genus Strix has a large number of owl creatures, some of which are assumed owls instead of owls. They are distributed in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America.
The owls of this genus measure between thirty and 40 cm. They lack the elongated feathers that simulate ears and their habits are nocturnal.
This genus includes the following creatures of owls:
Strix chacoensis.
Strix davidi.
Strix fulvescens.
Strix hadorami.
If you have doubts when differentiating an owl from an owl, in this other article we tell you all the differences between owl and owl.
Types of owls from the Surniinae subfamily
The 3rd of the owl subfamilies is the Surniinae; we do not include the genus Ninox in this list, since the creatures are named sparrowhawks.
Owls of the genus Aegolius
In the genus Aegolius, little creatures of owls are included, since they rise an average of 16 and twenty-seven cm high. They are common in Asia, Europe, and North America. They live in mountains and forests, where they feed on insects, little mammals, and bats.
Some creatures of owls of the genus Aegolius are:
Aegolius acadicus.
Aegolius funereus.
Aegolius gradyi.
Aegolius harrisii.
Owls of the genus Athene
The types of owls that make up the genus Athene are also named owls. These are little birds that are distributed almost all over the world. They are up to fifteen cm high and are characterized by amber eyes and a mottled plumage with white eyebrows.
It only includes three creatures of owls:
Athene brama.
Athene cunicularia.
Athene noctua.
Owls of the genus Glaucidium
The genus Glaucidium includes a wide variety of creatures that are also named owls. They are distributed in America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Enjoy other types of owls, they are little and feed on insects and mammals.
Some creatures of owls of the genus Glaucidium are:
Glaucidium albertinum.
Glaucidium bolivianum.
Glaucidium brasilianum.
Glaucidium brodiei.
Glaucidium californicum.
Owls of the genus Heteroglaux
Only one creature belonging to the genus Heteroglaux, the Blewitt owl (Heteroglaux blewitti). This owl is endemic to India, where it has been assumed extinct on diverse opportunities. It is 23 cm high and has a stubby skeleton. Its plumage is a mixture of gray, white, and brown spots. Currently, the IUCN considers it an endangered species.
Owls of the genus Micrathene
This genus also includes one creature, the dwarf owl (Micrathene whitneyi). This type of owl is among the smallest in the world, reaching only 13 cm in height. It is possible to see it in the United States and Mexico, where it lives in the forests and savannahs. It is a migratory and nocturnal bird.
Owls of the genus Sceloglaux
It is another of the genera that have a few creatures of an owl, the white-faced owl (Sceloglaux albifacies). It is a type of extinct owl that was endemic to New Zealand. It averages about 15 inches and had a yellow plumage with brown stripes. The reason for its disappearance was the introduction of large mammals on the island.
Owls of the genus Surnia
The genus Surnia also includes an owl creature, the sparrowhawk (Surnia ulula). It inhabits Europe, Asia, and North America, where it lives in the forests. It has a flat head and pointed wings attribute that owe it the name of the sparrowhawk.
Owls of the genus Uroglaux
This genus also includes one creature, the New Guinea harrier owl (Uroglaux dimorpha). The creature is endemic to New Guinea, where it is distributed in 20 different localities. Fine is referred about its habits, although it feeds on other animals, insects and rodents.
Owls of the genus Xenoglaux
The final of the owl types is the hairy owl (Xenoglaux loweryi). It measures a maximum of 14 cm and has no feathers in its ears. It is already distributed in Peru, where it lives in the Andes. The IUCN considers the creatures in danger of termination, due to the effect of mining, climate development, and agriculture.
