true owls
Sign in to saveThe true owls or typical owls (family Strigidae) are one of the two generally accepted families of owls, the other being the barn owls and bay owls (Tytonidae). 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.
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True owls, also called typical owls (family Strigidae), make up one of the two main owl families and include about 230 living or recently extinct species spread across 24 different groups. These owls live on every continent except Antarctica, making them one of the most widespread owl families in the world.
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Article
13 sectionsContents
- Morphology
- Niche competition
- Behaviour
- Communication
- Migration
- Habitat, climate and seasonal changes
- Parasites
- Predators
- Systematics
- [[Late Quaternary prehistoric birds|Late Quaternary prehistoric extinctions]]
- [[Fossil]] record
- Bibliography
- External links
The true owls or typical owls (family Strigidae) are one of the two generally accepted families of owls, the other being the barn owls and bay owls (Tytonidae). 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.
==Morphology== thumb|right|upright|Cross sectioned great grey owl specimen showing the extent of the body plumage, Zoological Museum, Copenhagen thumb|upright|Skeleton of a Strigidae owl While typical owls (hereafter referred to simply as owls) vary greatly in size, with the smallest species, the elf owl, being a hundredth the size of the largest, the Eurasian eagle-owl and Blakiston's fish owl, owls generally share an extremely similar body plan. They tend to have large heads, short tails, cryptic plumage, and round facial discs around the eyes. The family is generally arboreal (with a few exceptions like the burrowing owl) and obtain their food on the wing. The wings are large, broad, rounded, and long. As is the case with most birds of prey, in many owl species females are larger than males.