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 | |
| range of all species of owls, combined | |
| Synonyms | |
| Strigidae sensu Sibley & Ahlquist | |
Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (/ˈstrɪdʒəfɔːrmiːz/), 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".