Owl Species

According to Wikipedia, there are 254 species of owls on earth: The 20 species of genera Tyto and Phodilus, the barn owls, are in family Tytonidae. The other 234 species are in family Strigidae, the "typical owls". They are distributed among 25 genera in two families.

We'll focus on Strigidae and Tytonidae families.

Strigidae

True owls, or typical owls.

Family facts
  • This large family comprises 230 living or recently extinct species in 24 genera
  • The Strigidae owls have a cosmopolitan distribution and are found on every continent except Antarctica.
  • Are one of the two generally accepted families of owls, the other being the barn owls and bay owls (Tytonidae)

Tytonidae

Includes barn owls and bay owls

Family Facts
  1. Medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces
  2. They have long, strong legs with powerful talons
  3. They also differ from the Strigidae in structural details relating in particular to the sternum and feet