List of owl species

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The International Ornithological Committee (IOC) recognizes these 254 species of owl in order Strigiformes; they are distributed among 25 genera in two families. 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". Five species on the list are extinct; they are marked (X). [1] For a partial list with additional information, see the article "List of Strigiformes by population".

This list is presented according to the IOC taxonomic sequence and can also be sorted alphabetically by common name and binomial.

Common nameBinomial name + authority IOC sequence
Greater sooty owl Tyto tenebricosa(Gould, 1845)1
Lesser sooty owl Tyto multipunctata Mathews, 19122
Minahasa masked owl Tyto inexspectata(Schlegel, 1879)3
Taliabu masked owl Tyto nigrobrunnea Neumann, 19394
Moluccan masked owl Tyto sororcula(Sclater, PL, 1883)5
Manus masked owl Tyto manusi Rothschild & Hartert, EJO, 19146
Golden masked owl Tyto aurantia(Salvadori, 1881)7
Australian masked owl Tyto novaehollandiae(Stephens, 1826)8
Sulawesi masked owl Tyto rosenbergii(Schlegel, 1866)9
Red owl Tyto soumagnei(Grandidier, A, 1878)10
Western barn owl Tyto alba(Scopoli, 1769)11
American barn owl Tyto furcata(Temminck, 1827)12
Eastern barn owl Tyto javanica(Gmelin, JF, 1788)13
Andaman masked owl Tyto deroepstorffi(Hume, 1875)14
Ashy-faced owl Tyto glaucops(Kaup, 1852)15
African grass owl Tyto capensis(Smith, A, 1834)16
Eastern grass owl Tyto longimembris(Jerdon, 1839)17
Itombwe owl Tyto prigoginei(Schouteden, 1952)18
Oriental bay owl Phodilus badius(Horsfield, 1821)19
Sri Lanka bay owl Phodilus assimilis Hume, 187720
Papuan hawk-owl Uroglaux dimorpha(Salvadori, 1874)21
Laughing owl (X)Ninox albifacies(Gray, GR, 1844)22
Rufous owl Ninox rufa(Gould, 1846)23
Powerful owl Ninox strenua(Gould, 1838)24
Barking owl Ninox connivens(Latham, 1801)25
Sumba boobook Ninox rudolfi Meyer, AB, 188226
Australian boobook Ninox boobook(Latham, 1801)27
Rote boobook Ninox rotiensis Johnstone, RE & Darnell, 199728
Timor boobook Ninox fusca(Vieillot, 1817)29
Alor boobook Ninox plesseni Stresemann, 192930
Tasmanian boobook Ninox leucopsis(Gould, 1838)31
Morepork Ninox novaeseelandiae(Gmelin, JF, 1788)32
Northern boobook Ninox japonica(Temminck & Schlegel, 1845)33
Brown boobook Ninox scutulata(Raffles, 1822)34
Hume's boobook Ninox obscura Hume, 187235
Chocolate boobook Ninox randi Deignan, 195136
Andaman boobook Ninox affinis Beavan, 186737
Luzon boobook Ninox philippensis Bonaparte, 185538
Mindanao boobook Ninox spilocephala Tweeddale, 187939
Camiguin boobook Ninox leventisiRasmussen, Allen, D, Collar, Hutchinson, Jakosalem, Kennedy, RS, Lambert & Paguntalan, 201240
Sulu boobook Ninox reyi Oustalet, 188041
Cebu boobook Ninox rumseyiRasmussen, Allen, D, Collar, Hutchinson, Jakosalem, Kennedy, RS, Lambert & Paguntalan, 201242
Romblon boobook Ninox spilonotus Bourns & Worcester, 189443
Mindoro boobook Ninox mindorensis Ogilvie-Grant, 189644
Least boobook Ninox sumbaensisOlsen, Wink, Sauer-Gürth & Trost, 200245
Togian boobook Ninox burhaniIndrawan & Somadikarta, 200446
Ochre-bellied boobook Ninox ochracea(Schlegel, 1866)47
Cinnabar boobook Ninox ios Rasmussen, 199948
Halmahera boobook Ninox hypogramma(Gray, GR, 1861)49
Buru boobook Ninox hantu(Wallace, 1863)50
Seram boobook Ninox squamipila(Bonaparte, 1850)51
Tanimbar boobook Ninox forbesi Sclater, PL, 188352
Christmas boobook Ninox natalis Lister, 188953
Manus boobook Ninox meeki Rothschild & Hartert, EJO, 191454
Papuan boobook Ninox theomacha(Bonaparte, 1855)55
Speckled boobook Ninox punctulata(Quoy & Gaimard, 1832)56
New Britain boobook Ninox odiosa Sclater, PL, 187757
New Ireland boobook Ninox variegata(Quoy & Gaimard, 1832)58
Bare-legged owl Margarobyas lawrencii(Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1868)59
Collared owlet Taenioptynx brodiei(Burton, E, 1836)60
Sunda owlet Taenioptynx sylvaticus(Bonaparte, 1850)61
Elf owl Micrathene whitneyi(Cooper, JG, 1861)62
Long-whiskered owlet Xenoglaux loweryi O'Neill & Graves, GR, 197763
Boreal owl Aegolius funereus(Linnaeus, 1758)64
Northern saw-whet owl Aegolius acadicus(Gmelin, JF, 1788)65
Bermuda saw-whet owl (X)Aegolius gradyiOlson, 201266
Unspotted saw-whet owl Aegolius ridgwayi(Alfaro, 1905)67
Buff-fronted owl Aegolius harrisii(Cassin, 1849)68
Forest owlet Athene blewitti(Hume, 1873)69
White-browed owl Athene superciliaris(Vieillot, 1817)70
Burrowing owl Athene cunicularia(Molina, 1782)71
Little owl Athene noctua(Scopoli, 1769)72
Spotted owlet Athene brama(Temminck, 1821)73
West Solomons owl Athene jacquinoti Bonaparte, 185074
Guadalcanal owl Athene granti(Sharpe, 1888)75
Malaita owl Athene malaitae(Mayr, 1931)76
Makira owl Athene roseoaxillaris(Hartert, EJO, 1929)77
Northern hawk-owl Surnia ulula(Linnaeus, 1758)78
Eurasian pygmy owl Glaucidium passerinum(Linnaeus, 1758)79
Pearl-spotted owlet Glaucidium perlatum(Vieillot, 1817)80
Red-chested owlet Glaucidium tephronotum Sharpe, 187581
Sjöstedt's barred owlet Glaucidium sjostedti Reichenow, 189382
Asian barred owlet Glaucidium cuculoides(Vigors, 1830)83
Javan owlet Glaucidium castanopterum(Horsfield, 1821)84
Jungle owlet Glaucidium radiatum(Tickell, 1833)85
Chestnut-backed owlet Glaucidium castanotum(Blyth, 1851)86
African barred owlet Glaucidium capense(Smith, A, 1834)87
Albertine owlet Glaucidium albertinum Prigogine, 198388
Northern pygmy owl Glaucidium californicum Sclater, PL, 185789
Mountain pygmy owl Glaucidium gnoma Wagler, 183290
Baja pygmy owl Glaucidium hoskinsii Brewster, 188891
Guatemalan pygmy owl Glaucidium cobanense Sharpe, 187592
Costa Rican pygmy owl Glaucidium costaricanum Kelso, L, 193793
Cloud-forest pygmy owl Glaucidium nubicola Robbins & Stiles, 199994
Andean pygmy owl Glaucidium jardinii(Bonaparte, 1855)95
Yungas pygmy owl Glaucidium bolivianum König, C, 199196
Colima pygmy owl Glaucidium palmarum Nelson, 190197
Tamaulipas pygmy owl Glaucidium sanchezi Lowery & Newman, RJ, 194998
Central American pygmy owl Glaucidium griseiceps Sharpe, 187599
Subtropical pygmy owl Glaucidium parkeri Robbins & Howell, SNG, 1995100
Amazonian pygmy owl Glaucidium hardyi Vielliard, 1989101
East Brazilian pygmy owl Glaucidium minutissimum(Wied-Neuwied, M, 1830)102
Pernambuco pygmy owl Glaucidium mooreorumCardoso da Silva, Coelho & Gonzaga, 2003103
Ferruginous pygmy owl Glaucidium brasilianum(Gmelin, JF, 1788)104
Pacific pygmy owl Glaucidium peruanum König, C, 1991105
Austral pygmy owl Glaucidium nana(King, PP, 1827)106
Cuban pygmy owl Glaucidium siju(d'Orbigny, 1839)107
Giant scops owl Otus gurneyi(Tweeddale, 1879)108
White-fronted scops owl Otus sagittatus(Cassin, 1849)109
Reddish scops owl Otus rufescens(Horsfield, 1821)110
Serendib scops owl Otus thilohoffmanniWarakagoda & Rasmussen, 2004111
Sandy scops owl Otus icterorhynchus(Shelley, 1873)112
Sokoke scops owl Otus ireneae Ripley, 1966113
Andaman scops owl Otus balli(Hume, 1873)114
Flores scops owl Otus alfredi(Hartert, EJO, 1897)115
Mountain scops owl Otus spilocephalus(Blyth, 1846)116
Javan scops owl Otus angelinae(Finsch, 1912)117
Mindanao scops owl Otus mirus Ripley & Rabor, 1968118
Luzon scops owl Otus longicornis(Ogilvie-Grant, 1894)119
Mindoro scops owl Otus mindorensis(Whitehead, J, 1899)120
Torotoroka scops owl Otus madagascariensis(Grandidier, A, 1867)121
Rainforest scops owl Otus rutilus(Pucheran, 1849)122
Mayotte scops owl Otus mayottensis Benson, 1960123
Karthala scops owl Otus pauliani Benson, 1960124
Anjouan scops owl Otus capnodes(Gurney, JH Sr, 1889)125
Moheli scops owl Otus moheliensis Lafontaine & Moulaert, 1998126
Reunion scops owl (X)Otus grucheti(Mourer-Chauviré, Bour, Moutou & Ribes, 1994)127
Mauritius scops owl (X)Otus sauzieri(Newton, E & Gadow, 1893)128
Rodrigues scops owl (X)Otus murivorus(Milne-Edwards, 1873)129
Pallid scops owl Otus brucei(Hume, 1872)130
Arabian scops owl Otus pamelae Bates, GL, 1937131
Eurasian scops owl Otus scops(Linnaeus, 1758)132
Cyprus scops owl Otus cyprius(Madarász, G, 1901)133
Principe scops owl Otus bikegilaMelo, Freitas, Verbelen, da Costa, Pereira, Fuchs, Sangster, Correia, de Lima & Crottini, 2022134
Pemba scops owl Otus pembaensis Pakenham, 1937135
Sao Tome scops owl Otus hartlaubi(Giebel, 1872)126
African scops owl Otus senegalensis(Swainson, 1837)137
Annobon scops owl Otus feae(Salvadori, 1903)138
Socotra scops owl Otus socotranus(Ogilvie-Grant & Forbes, HO, 1899)139
Oriental scops owl Otus sunia(Hodgson, 1836)140
Ryukyu scops owl Otus elegans(Cassin, 1852)141
Moluccan scops owl Otus magicus(Müller, S, 1841)142
Wetar scops owl Otus tempestatis(Hartert, EJO, 1904)143
Sula scops owl Otus sulaensis(Hartert, EJO, 1898)144
Biak scops owl Otus beccarii(Salvadori, 1876)145
Sulawesi scops owl Otus manadensis(Quoy & Gaimard, 1832)146
Banggai scops owl Otus mendeni Neumann, 1939147
Siau scops owl Otus siaoensis(Schlegel, 1873)148
Sangihe scops owl Otus collari Lambert & Rasmussen, 1998149
Mantanani scops owl Otus mantananensis(Sharpe, 1892)150
Seychelles scops owl Otus insularis(Tristram, 1880)151
Nicobar scops owl Otus alius Rasmussen, 1998152
Simeulue scops owl Otus umbra(Richmond, 1903)153
Enggano scops owl Otus enganensis Riley, 1927154
Mentawai scops owl Otus mentawi Chasen & Kloss, 1926155
Rajah scops owl Otus brookii(Sharpe, 1892)156
Indian scops owl Otus bakkamoena Pennant, 1769157
Collared scops owl Otus lettia(Hodgson, 1836)158
Japanese scops owl Otus semitorques Temminck & Schlegel, 1845159
Sunda scops owl Otus lempiji(Horsfield, 1821)160
Philippine scops owl Otus megalotis(Walden, 1875)161
Negros scops owl Otus nigrorum Rand, 1950162
Everett's scops owl Otus everetti(Tweeddale, 1879)163
Palawan scops owl Otus fuliginosus(Sharpe, 1888)164
Wallace's scops owl Otus silvicola(Wallace, 1864)165
Rinjani scops owl Otus jolandaeSangster, King, BF, Verbelen & Trainor, 2013166
Palau scops owl Otus podarginus(Hartlaub & Finsch, 1872)167
Northern white-faced owl Ptilopsis leucotis(Temminck, 1820)168
Southern white-faced owl Ptilopsis granti(Kollibay, 1910)169
Jamaican owl Asio grammicus(Gosse, 1847)170
Striped owl Asio clamator(Vieillot, 1808)171
Long-eared owl Asio otus(Linnaeus, 1758)172
Abyssinian owl Asio abyssinicus(Guérin-Méneville, 1843)173
Madagascar owl Asio madagascariensis(Smith, A, 1834)174
Stygian owl Asio stygius(Wagler, 1832)175
Short-eared owl Asio flammeus(Pontoppidan, 1763)176
Marsh owl Asio capensis(Smith, A, 1834)177
Fearful owl Asio solomonensis(Hartert, EJO, 1901)178
Maned owl Jubula lettii(Büttikofer, 1889)179
Snowy owl Bubo scandiacus(Linnaeus, 1758)180
Great horned owl Bubo virginianus(Gmelin, JF, 1788)181
Lesser horned owl Bubo magellanicus(Lesson, RP, 1828)182
Eurasian eagle-owl Bubo bubo(Linnaeus, 1758)183
Indian eagle-owl Bubo bengalensis(Franklin, 1831)143
Pharaoh eagle-owl Bubo ascalaphus Savigny, 1809185
Cape eagle-owl Bubo capensis Smith, A, 1834186
Arabian eagle-owl Bubo milesi Sharpe, 1886187
Greyish eagle-owl Bubo cinerascens Guérin-Méneville, 1843188
Spotted eagle-owl Bubo africanus(Temminck, 1821)189
Fraser's eagle-owl Ketupa poensis(Fraser, 1854)190
Akun eagle-owl Ketupa leucosticta(Hartlaub, 1855)191
Verreaux's eagle-owl Ketupa lactea(Temminck, 1820)192
Shelley's eagle-owl Ketupa shelleyi(Sharpe & Ussher, 1872)193
Blakiston's fish owl Ketupa blakistoni(Seebohm, 1884)194
Brown fish owl Ketupa zeylonensis(Gmelin, JF, 1788)195
Tawny fish owl Ketupa flavipes(Hodgson, 1836)196
Buffy fish owl Ketupa ketupu(Horsfield, 1821)197
Barred eagle-owl Ketupa sumatrana(Raffles, 1822)198
Spot-bellied eagle-owl Ketupa nipalensis(Hodgson, 1836)199
Dusky eagle-owl Ketupa coromanda(Latham, 1790)200
Philippine eagle-owl Ketupa philippensis(Kaup, 1851)201
Pel's fishing owl Scotopelia peli Bonaparte, 1850202
Rufous fishing owl Scotopelia ussheri Sharpe, 1871203
Vermiculated fishing owl Scotopelia bouvieri Sharpe, 1875204
Flammulated owl Psiloscops flammeolus(Kaup, 1852)205
Puerto Rican owl Gymnasio nudipes(Daudin, 1800)206
Whiskered screech owl Megascops trichopsis(Wagler, 1832)207
Bare-shanked screech owl Megascops clarkii(Kelso, L & Kelso, EH, 1935)208
White-throated screech owl Megascops albogularis(Cassin, 1849)209
Tropical screech owl Megascops choliba(Vieillot, 1817)210
Bearded screech owl Megascops barbarus(Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1868)211
Pacific screech owl Megascops cooperi(Ridgway, 1878)212
Western screech owl Megascops kennicottii(Elliot, DG, 1867)213
Eastern screech owl Megascops asio(Linnaeus, 1758)214
Balsas screech owl Megascops seductus(Moore, RT, 1941)215
Middle American screech owl Megascops guatemalae(Sharpe, 1875)216
Koepcke's screech owl Megascops koepckeae(Hekstra, 1982)217
Rufescent screech owl Megascops ingens(Salvin, 1897)218
Cinnamon screech owl Megascops petersoni(Fitzpatrick & O'Neill, 1986)219
Cloud-forest screech owl Megascops marshalli(Weske & Terborgh, 1981)220
Yungas screech owl Megascops hoyi(König, C & Straneck, 1989)221
Choco screech owl Megascops centralis(Hekstra, 1982)222
Foothill screech owl Megascops roraimae(Salvin, 1897)223
Long-tufted screech owl Megascops sanctaecatarinae(Salvin, 1897)224
Santa Marta screech owl Megascops gilesiKrabbe, 2017225
West Peruvian screech owl Megascops roboratus(Bangs & Noble, 1918)226
Tawny-bellied screech owl Megascops watsonii(Cassin, 1849)227
Black-capped screech owl Megascops atricapilla(Temminck, 1822)228
Spectacled owl Pulsatrix perspicillata(Latham, 1790)229
Tawny-browed owl Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana(Bertoni, MS & Bertoni, AW, 1901)230
Band-bellied owl Pulsatrix melanota(Tschudi, 1844)231
Crested owl Lophostrix cristata(Daudin, 1800)232
Spotted wood owl Strix seloputo Horsfield, 1821233
Mottled wood owl Strix ocellata(Lesson, RP, 1839)234
Brown wood owl Strix leptogrammica Temminck, 1832235
Tawny owl Strix aluco Linnaeus, 1758236
Maghreb owl Strix mauritanica(Witherby, 1905)237
Himalayan owl Strix nivicolum(Blyth, 1845)238
Desert owl Strix hadoramiKirwan, Schweizer & Copete, 2015239
Omani owl Strix butleri(Hume, 1878)240
Spotted owl Strix occidentalis(Xántus, J, 1860)241
Barred owl Strix varia Barton, 1799242
Cinereous owl Strix sartorii(Ridgway, 1874)243
Fulvous owl Strix fulvescens(Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1868)244
Rusty-barred owl Strix hylophila Temminck, 1825245
Chaco owl Strix chacoensis Cherrie & Reichenberger, 1921246
Rufous-legged owl Strix rufipes King, PP, 1827247
Ural owl Strix uralensis Pallas, 1771248
Great grey owl Strix nebulosa Forster, JR, 1772249
African wood owl Strix woodfordii(Smith, A, 1834)250
Mottled owl Strix virgata(Cassin, 1849)251
Black-and-white owl Strix nigrolineata(Sclater, PL, 1859)252
Black-banded owl Strix huhula Daudin, 1800253
Rufous-banded owl Strix albitarsis(Bonaparte, 1850)254

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">True owl</span> Family of birds

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barn-owl</span> Family of birds

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plover</span> Family of birds

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horned owl</span> Genus of birds (Bubo)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scops owl</span> Genus of birds

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine scops owl</span> Species of owl

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<i>Tyto</i> Genus of birds

Tyto is a genus of birds consisting of true barn owls, grass owls and masked owls that collectively make up all the species within the subfamily Tytoninae of the barn owl family, Tytonidae.

<i>Asio</i> Genus of birds

Asio is a genus of typical owls, or true owls, in the family Strigidae. This group has representatives over most of the planet, and the short-eared owl is one of the most widespread of all bird species, breeding in Europe, Asia, North and South America, the Caribbean, Hawaii and the Galápagos Islands. Its geographic range extends to all continents except Antarctica and Australia.

<i>Strix</i> (bird) Genus of birds

Strix is a genus of owls in the typical owl family (Strigidae), one of the two generally accepted living families of owls, with the other being the barn-owl (Tytonidae). Common names are earless owls or wood owls, though they are not the only owls without ear tufts, and "wood owl" is also used as a more generic name for forest-dwelling owls. Neotropical birds in the genus Ciccaba are sometimes included in Strix.

<i>Ninox</i> Genus of birds

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The Réunion scops owl, also known as the Réunion owl or Réunion lizard owl, was a small owl that occurred on the Mascarene island of Réunion, but became extinct before any living birds were described; it is only known from subfossil bones. One of the three Mascarene owls, it was formerly classified in the genus Mascarenotus, and most likely was similar to a long-eared owl in size and appearance, but with nearly naked legs. However, according to recent studies, it and its relatives belong to the genus Otus, and is likely descended from the Otus sunia lineage.

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<i>Ketupa</i> Genus of birds

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing owl</span> Genus of birds

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Screech owl</span> Species of owl

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foothill screech owl</span> Species of owl

The foothill screech owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.

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References

  1. Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P., eds. (January 2024). "Owls". IOC World Bird List. v 14.1. Retrieved January 4, 2024.