Nearctica - Natural History - Birds of Eastern North America - Strigidae

Owls

Strigidae

Special Segments General Topics

Purchase

A Field Guide to Eastern Birds. by Roger Tory Peterson.

Return to Eastern Birds

Owls are one of the most recognizable bird groups in the world. The species are hunters and are commonly grouped with the hawks, falcons, and owls as "raptors" although the two groups are not related. Owls typically have the eyes placed into forward facing flattened disks called facial disks. These birds usually stand upright on their perches and typically have large, sharp talons typical of hunting birds. Most owls are nocturnal, but some hunt during the day. Most species nest in treeholes, but a few use old bird nests, and one eastern species uses burrows in the ground. There are 161 species worldwide. Eleven species are found in eastern North America. The Barn Owl is included in the lists below, although the species is placed in the related family Tytonidae.

Plate of Thumbnail Pictures

Species Arranged by Common Name

Barn Owl (Tyto alba) (Tytonidae)

Eastern Screech Owl (Otus asio)

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)

Snowy Owl (Nyctea scandiaca)

Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula)

Burrowing Owl (Speotyto cunicularia)

Barred Owl (Strix varia)

Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa)

Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)

Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)

Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus)

Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus)

Species Arranged by Scientific Name