Owl

Owl
Temporal range: Late Paleocene to recent
Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo)
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Clade: Telluraves
Order: Strigiformes
Wagler, 1830
Families

Strigidae
Tytonidae
Ogygoptyngidae (fossil)
†Palaeoglaucidae (fossil)
Protostrigidae (fossil)
Sophiornithidae (fossil)

      range of all species of owls, combined
Synonyms

Strigidae sensu Sibley & Ahlquist

Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (/ˈstrɪəfɔːrmz/), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers adapted for silent flight. Exceptions include the diurnal northern hawk-owl and the gregarious burrowing owl.

Owls are divided into two families: the true (or typical) owl family, Strigidae, and the barn owl and bay owl family, Tytonidae. 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 the polar ice caps and some remote islands.

A group of owls is called a "parliament".