Owls are found on all continents except Antarctica. Owls are divided into two families: the typical owls, Strigidae; and the barn-owls, Tytonidae. They range in size from 13-70 cm. Owls do not construct nests, but rather look for a sheltered nesting site or an abandoned nest in trees, underground burrows, or in buildings, barns and caves.
Owls are solitary and nocturnal. They hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds though a few species specialize in hunting fish. Most hunt for prey only in the darkness. Much of the owls' hunting strategy depends on stealth and surprise. They are very quiet in flight plus they have dull colors. Owls have large forward-facing eyes and ear-holes, a hawk-like beak, a flat face, and usually a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye. The facial disc helps to funnel the sound of prey to their ears. Although owls have binocular vision, their large eyes are fixed in their sockets, as with other birds, and they must turn their entire head to change views. Owls can rotate their heads and necks as much as 270 degrees in either direction. The female is usually larger than the male.
Owl species can be found on these web pages:
New World Owls, Old World Owls, Owl_Pacific, Barn Owls, Eagle-Owls, Pygmy-Owls, Scops-Owls
Genus Nesasio - 1 species
Owl,_Fearful Nesasio solomonensis Found: New Guinea, Solomon Islands
The Fearful Owl has mottled brown upperparts; oche underparts with blackish streaks; rufous facial disk with distinct white eyebrows.
Image by: 1) J_del_Hoyo
Genus Ninox
Ninox is a genus of owls comprising about 20 species found in Asia and Australasia. Many species are known as hawk owls or boobooks.
Boobook,_Andaman also Andaman Owl Ninox affinis Found: India
Image by: 1) Balaji Venkatesh 2) Albinjacob
Boobook,_Brown also Brown Hawk-Owl Ninox scutulata Found: south Asia, Indonesia
The Brown Hawk-Owl has dark brown upperparts; whitish between eyes; brown patches and streaks on underparts; yellow eyes.
Image by: 1, 2) Vijay Ismavel 3) Hyashi Haka
Boobook,_Camiguin also Camiquin Hawk-Owl Ninox leventisi Found: Camiguin Sur (Philippines)
Image by: 1) Bob_Hutchinson - Camiguin Sur, Philippines
Boobook,_Cebu also Cebu Hawk-Owl Ninox rumseyi Found: Cebu (Philippines)
Image by: 1) Yann_Muzika
Boobook, Chocolate Ninox randi Found: the Philippines
Image by: 1) Marcel Holyoak
Boobook,_Christmas_Island Ninox natalis Found: Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean
The Christmas Island Boobook has rufous-brown plumage; chestnut facial mask; whitish supercilium; barred breast; yellow legs.
Image by: 1) Charles_Andrews 2) Cherry_Wong
Boobook,_Cinnabar Ninox ios Found: Sulawesi (Indonesia)
Image by: 1) Filip_Verbelen 2) Rob_Hutchinson
Boobook,_Halmahera Ninox hypogramma Found: Indonesia
Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans 2) Pete_Morris
Boobook,_Hantu Ninox squamipila Found: Moluccas islands (Indonesia)
Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans 2) Dubi_Shapiro - Maluku, Indonesia
Boobook,_Hume's also Hume's Hawk-Owl Ninox obscura Found: Andaman Islands (east of India, west of Myanmar)
Image by: 1) Savithri_Singh 2) Balaji_Venkatesh_Sivaramakrishnan
Boobook,_Least also Little Sumba Hawk-Owl Ninox sumbaensis Found: Sumba (Indonesia)
Image by: 1) Yann_Muzika
Boobook,_Luzon also Luzon Hawk-Owl Ninox philippensis Found: Philippines
The Luzon Boobook has brown upperparts; brown wings with white spots; pale white underparts with brown streaks; olive bill; pale yellow feet.
Image by: 1) Philippine_Postal_Corporation 2) Ramon_Quisumbing
Boobook,_Manus Ninox meeki Found: Manus Island (north of New Guinea)
The Manus Boobook has an unmarked brown facial disk; rufous crown, back; barred white flight feathers and tail, whitish underparts with rufous streaking
Image by: 1) Geoff_Jones
Boobook,_Mindanao also Mindanao Hawk-Owl Ninox spilocephala Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) Francis_Yap - Mindanao
Boobook,_Mindoro also Mindoro Hawk-Owl Ninox mindorensis Found: Mindoro (Philippines)
Image by: 1) Blake_Matheson 2)_ James_Eaton
Boobook,_New_Britain Ninox odiosa Found: New Britain Island (New Guinea)
The New Britain Boobook has spotted chocolate-brown upperparts; white supercilium; whitish underparts with dark streaks; golden eyes.
Image by: 1) David_Cook
Boobook,_Northern Ninox japonica Found: China, Japan, Korea, Russia, Taiwan
Image by: 1) watch-bird.blogspot
Boobook,_Ochre-bellied also Ochre-bellied Hawk-Owl Ninox ochracea Found: Indonesia
Image by: 1) Francesco Veronesi - Sulawesi, Indonesia 2) Ian_Banner
Boobook,_Papaun Ninox theomacha Found: New Guinea
Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikova 2) R_Straatman
Boobook,_Romblon also Romblon Hawk-Owl Ninox spilonotus Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) Marc_Thibault - Tablas Island, Philippines
Boobook,_Solomons Ninox jacquinoti Found: Solomon Islands
The Solomons Boobook has rusty-brown upperparts (sometimes spotted or barred white) ;buffy white breast (sometimes spotted with brown); creamy belly.
Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikova 2) Salvatore Chamu
Booboo,_Southern Ninox novaeseelandiae Found: Australia, New Zealand
Image by: 1) Hase - Queenstown's Kiwi Birdlife Park 2) Aviceda - Warkworth, New Zealand 3) David Cook - Wamboin, NSW, Australia 4) Oystercatcher 5) MagdelinaB
Boobook,_Spectacled also Spectacled Hawk-Owl Ninox punctulata Found: Indonesia
Image by: 1) Francesco Veronesi - Sulawesi, Indonesia
Boobook,_Sulu also Sulu Hawk-Owl Ninox reyi Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) Rob_Hutchinson
Boobook, Sumba Ninox rudolfi Found: Indonesia
Image by: 1) John Gerard Keulemans 2) nolarfryar
Boobook,_Tanimbar Ninox forbesi Found: Tanimbar Islands (Indonesia)
Image by: 1) Charles_Davies
Boobook,_Togian Ninox burhani Found: Togian islands off the coast of Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Image by: 1, 2) M_Indrawan
Owl,_Barking Ninox connivens Found: Australia
The Barking Owl has brown-gray upperparts with white spots on wing coverts; white underparts with brown-gray streaks; yellow eyes; no facial disk.
Image by: 1) Julie Edgley 2) Ed Hunsinger 3) dayvayen 4) David Monro
Owl,_Powerful Ninox strenua Found: Australia
The aptly named Powerful Owl has gray-brown plumage with V-barring on all features; dull yellow feet. It is the largest "hawk-owl".
Image by: 1) Tony Morris - Sydney 2) David_Lochlin 3) Charlie Westerinen - Sydney Zoo
Owl,_Rufous Ninox rufa Found: Australia, New Guinea
The Rufous Owl has reddish-brown upperparts with scattered brown barring; brown face; rufous underparts with cream barring; yellow eyes.
Image by: 1) Charlie Westerinen - Featherdale sanctuary in Australia 2) Lip Kee 3) Tony_Morris 4) Graham_Winterflood
Owl,_White-browed Hawk- slso White-browed Owl Ninox superciliaris Found: Madagascar
The White-browed Hawk-Owl has brown upperparts; white spotsd on crown, mantle, wing coverts; buff underparts with dark brown barring; barring faint along middle line of underparts.;
Image by: 1) Franciso Veronesi 2) David Cook .jpg){kind=link}
Genus Pyrroglaux - 1 species
Owl,_Palau Pyrroglaux podargina Found: Palau Islands (northwest of New Guinea)
Image by: 1) Mandy_E
Genus Uroglaux - 1 species
Owl,_Papuan_Hawk- Uroglaux dimorpha Found: New Guinea
The Papuan Hawk-Owl has brown upperparts with barring; small head; white facial disk finely streaked black; buff underparts; yellow eyes.
Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikova 2) Leaubellon
