In an attempt to satisfy both schools of thought, the following classification aims to find a balance between the two extremes, accepting about 200 kinds of owls as genuine species. It is as up-to-date as possible and includes some species that were not even discovered until the twenty-first century.
Barn owl from Conrad Gesner, Nomenclator Aquatilium Animantium (1560).
Horned owl from Ulysses Aldrovandus, Ornithologia, Book viii, from Opera Omnia (1656).
Order: Strigiformes (198 species)
FAMILY TYTONIDAE (15 SPECIES)
BARN OWLS
Sooty owl Tyto tenebricosa Australia, New Guinea
Sulawesi golden owl Tyto inexspectata Northern Sulawesi
Talaibu masked owl Tyto nigrobrunnea Sula Islands, Moluccas
Lesser masked owl Tyto sorocula Tanimbar Islands, Lesser Sundas
Manus masked owl Tyto manusi Manus Island, in Admiralty Islands
Bismarck masked owl Tyto aurantia New Britain
Australian masked owl Tyto novaehollandiae Australasia, New Guinea
Sulawesi owl Tyto rosenbergii Sulawesi (Celebes)
Madagascar red owl Tyto soumagnei Madagascar
Barn owl Tyto alba worldwide
Ashy-faced owl Tyto glaucops Haiti, Dominican Republic
African grass owl Tyto capensis Africa
Eastern grass owl Tyto longimembris South Asia, Australasia
BAY OWLS
Congo Bay owl Pholidus prigoginei Congo Basin, Africa
Oriental Bay owl Phodilus badius Asia
FAMILY STRIGIDAE (183 SPECIES)
SCREECH OWLS
Western screech owl Megascops kennicotti W. North America & Mexico
Balsas screech owl Megascops seductus Mexico
Pacific screech owl Megascops cooperi W. Central America
Eastern screech owl Megascops asio E. North America
Whiskered screech owl Megascops trichopsis Arizona & Central America
Tropical screech owl Megascops choliba Central & S. America
Koepcke’s screech owl Megascops koepckeae Bolivia & Peru
West Peruvian screech owl Megascops roboratus Ecuador & Peru
Bare-shanked screech owl Megascops clarkii Costa Rica, Panama & Colombia
Bearded screech owl Megascops barbarus Guatemala & S. Mexico
Rufescent screech owl Megascops ingens Venezuela to Bolivia
Colombian screech owl Megascops colombianus Colombia & Ecuador
Cinnamon screech ow Megascops petersoni Ecuador & Peru
Cloud-forest screech owl Megascops marshalli Peru
Tawny-bellied screech owl Megascops watsonii Amazon Basin, S. America
Black-capped screech owl Megascops atricapillus E. South America
Vermiculated screech owl Megascops guatemalae Mexico to N.-W. Argentina
Montane Forest screech owl Megascops hoyi Argentina & Bolivia
Long-tufted screech owl Megascops sanctaecatarinae Argentina & Brazil
Puerto Rican screech owl Megascops nudipes Caribbean islands
White-throated screech owl Megascops albogularis N. Andes
SCOPS OWLS
White-fronted Scops owl Otus sagittarius S.-E. Asia
Rufous Scops owl Otus rufescens S.-E Asia
Sandy Scops owl Otus icterorhynchus W. Africa
Sokoke Scops owl Otus ireneae Kenya
Andaman Scops owl Otus balli Andaman Islands
Mountain Scops owl Otus spilocephalus Asia
Serendib Scops owl Otus thilohoffmanni Asia
Simeulue Scops owl Otus umbra Simeulue Islands, Sumatra
Javan Scops owl Otus angelinae Java
Sulawesi Scops owl Otus manadensis Sulawesi
Sangihe Scops owl Otus collari Sangihe Islands, Sulawesi
Luzon Scops owl Otus longicornis Luzon, Philippines
Mindoro Scops owl Otus mindorensis Mindoro, Philippines
Mindanao Scops owl Otus mirus Mindanao, Philippines
Sao Tomé Scops owl Otus hartlaubi Sao Tomé & Principe
Pallid Scops owl Otus brucei Middle East to Central Asia
Flammulated owl Otus flammeolus W. North America & Central America
Common Scops owl Otus scops Eurasia
African Scops owl Otus senegalensis Sub-Saharan Africa
Oriental Scops owl Otus sunia S. & E. Asia
Nicobar Scops owl Otus alius Nicobar Islands
Elegant Scops owl Otus elegans islands off S. Japan, Taiwan, Luzon
Mantanani Scops owl Otus mantananensis Philippines & Malaysia
Flores Scops owl Otus alfredi Flores Island
Siau Scops owl Otus siaoensis Siau Island, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Enggano Scops owl Otus enganensis Enggano Island, Sumatra
Seychelles Scops owl Otus insularis Mahé, Seychelles
Biak Scops owl Otus beccari Biak Island, Geelvink Bay, Papua
Madagascar Scops owl Otus rutilus Madagascar
Pemba Scops owl Otus pembaensis Pemba Island, off Tanzania
Anjouan Scops owl Otus capnodes Anjouan Island, Comoros, Indian Ocean
Torotoroka Scops owl Otus madagascariensis W Madagascar
Mayotte Scops owl Otus mayottensis Comoro Islands, Indian Ocean
Moheli Scops owl Otus moheliensis Mohéli Island, Comoros, Indian Ocean
Grand Comoro Scops owl Otus pauliani Grand Comoro, Indian Ocean
Rajah’s Scops owl Otus brookii Sumatra, Java, Borneo
Collared Scops owl Otus bakkamoena S. & E. Asia, Indonesia & Japan
Mentawai Scops owl Otus mentawi Mentawai, W. Sumatra, Indonesia
Palawan Scops owl Otus fuliginosus Philippines
Whitehead’s Scops owl Otus megalotis Luzon Islands, Philippines
Lesser Sunda Scops owl Otus silvicola Flores & Sumbawa, Sunda Islands
White-faced Scops owl Otus leucotis Sub-Saharan Africa
Palau Scops owl Otus podarginus Palau Islands
BARE-LEGGED OWL
Bare-legged owl Gymnoglaux lawrencii Cuba
GIANT SCOPS OWL
Giant Scops owl Mimizuku gurneyi Philippines
EAGLE OWLS
Snowy owl Bubo scandiaca Arctic
Great horned owl Bubo virginianus N. & S. America
Eurasian eagle owl Bubo bubo Europe & Asia
Rock eagle owl Bubo bengalensis S. Asia
Pharaoh eagle owl Bubo ascalaphus N. Africa & Middle East
Cape eagle owl Bubo capensis E. & S. Africa
Spotted eagle owl Bubo africanus Arabia & Sub-Saharan Africa
Fraser’s eagle owl Bubo poensis W. Africa
Usambara eagle owl Bubo vosseleri Tanzania
Forest eagle owl Bubo nipalensis India & S.-E. Asia
Malay eagle owl Bubo sumatranus S. Asia
Shelley’s eagle owl Bubo shellyei W. Africa
Verreaux’s eagle owl Bubo lacteus Sub-Saharan Africa
Dusky eagle owl Bubo coromandus India & S.-E. Asia
Akun eagle owl Bubo leucostictus W. Africa
Philippine eagle owl Bubo philippensis Philippines
‘Bubo maximus’, from Saverio Manetti, Ornithologia Methodice Digesta atque Iconibus Aeneis, i (Florence, 1767).
‘Athene noctua’, from John Gould, The Birds of Great Britain, IV (1873).
FISH OWLS
Blakiston’s fish owl Ketupa blakstoni E. Asia & Japan
Brown fish owl Ketupa zeylonensis Middle East & S. Asia
Tawny fish owl Ketupa flavipes Central & S.-E. Asia
Malay fish owl Ketupa ketupa S.-E. Asia
FISHING OWLS
Pel’s fishing owl Scotopelia peli Sub-Saharan Africa
Rufous fishing owl Scotopelia ussheri W. Africa
Vermiculated fishing owl Scotopelia bouvieri W. Africa
WOOD OWLS
Spotted wood owl Strix seloputo S.-E. Asia
Mottled wood owl Strix ocellata India & W. Burma
Brown wood owl Strix leptogrammica India, S. China, S.-E. Asia
Tawny owl Strix aluco Europe, Asia, N. Africa, Middle East
Hume’s tawny owl Strix butleri Middle East
Spotted owl Strix occidentalis W. North America & Mexico
Barred owl Strix varia North America & Mexico
Fulvus owl Strix fulvensis S. Mexico & N. Central America
Rusty-barred owl Strix hylophila Brazil, Uruguay & N.-E. Argentina
Rufous-legged owl Strix rufipes S. South America
Chaco owl Strix chacoensis Bolivia, Paraguay & Argentina
Ural owl Strix uralensis Central & N. Europe, Central Asia, Japan
David’s wood owl Strix davidi China
Great grey owl Strix nebulosa N. Europe, Asia & N. America
African wood owl Strix woodfordii Sub-Saharan Africa
Mottled owl Strix virgata Mexico, Central & S. America
Black-and-white owl Strix nigrolineata Mexico to Ecuador
Black-banded owl Strix huhula N. & Central South America
Rufous-banded owl Strix albitarsus N. Andes
MANED OWL
Maned owl Jubula letti W. Africa
CRESTED OWL
Crested owl Lophostrix cristata Central & N. South America
SPECTACLED OWLS
Spectacled owl Pulsatrix perspicillata Mexico, Central & S. America
Band-bellied owl Pulsatrix melanota N. Andes
Tawny-browed owl Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana E. South America
HAWK OWL
Hawk owl Surnia ulula N. North America, N. Europe, N. Asia
PYGMY OWLS
Eurasian pygmy owl Glaucidium passerinum N. & Central Europe, N. Asia
Collared pygmy owl Glaucidium brodiei Himalayas, China & S.-E. Asia
Pearl-spotted owlet Glaucidium perlatum Sub-Saharan Africa
Northern pygmy owl Glaucidium gnoma W. North & Central America
Andean pygmy owl Glaucidium jardinii Central and N. South America
Costa Rican pygmy owl Glaucidium costaricanum Costa Rica & Panama
Cloud-forest pygmy owl Glaucidium nubicola Colombia & Ecuador
‘Nyctea nivea’, from John Gould, The Birds of Great Britain, IV (1873).
‘Assiolo asio’, from Manetti’s Ornithologia, I (1767).
Yungas pygmy owl Glaucidium bolivianum Argentina, Bolivia & Peru
Pernambuco pygmy owl Glaucidium morreorum Brazil
Amazonian pygmy owl Glaucidium hardyi N. South America
Least pygmy owl Glaucidium minutissimum Mexico, Central & N. America
Central American pygmy owl Glaucidium griseiceps Central, S. & North America
Tamaulipas pygmy owl Glaucidium sanchezi Mexico
Colima pygmy owl Glaucidium palmarum Mexico
Subtropical pygmy owl Glaucidium parkeri Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru
Ferruginous pygmy owl Glaucidium brasilianum Central and S. America
Peruvian pygmy owl Glaucidium peruanum Ecuador & Peru
Austral pygmy owl Glaucidium nanum Argentina & Chile
Cuban pygmy owl Glaucidium siju Cuba
Red-chested owlet Glaucidium tephronotum Tropical Africa
Sjostedt’s pygmy owl Glaucidium sjostedti W. Central Africa
Cuckoo owlet Glaucidium cuculoides China & S.-E. Asia
Javan owlet Glaucidium castanopterum Indonesia
Jungle owlet Glaucidium radiatum Pakistan to Burma
Chestnut-backed owlet Glaucidium castanotum Sri Lanka
Chestnut owlet Glaucidium castaneum Tropical W. Africa
African barred owlet Glaucidium capense Sub-Saharan Africa
Albertine owlet Glaucidium albertinum E. Zaire & Rwanda
LONG-WHISKERED OWL
Long-whiskered owl Xenoglaux loweryi N. Peru
ELF OWL
Elf owl Micrathene whitneyi S.-W. USA & Mexico
LITTLE OWLS
Little owl Athene noctua Europe, N. Africa, Middle East, Asia
Spotted little owl Athene brama S. Asia
Burrowing owl Athene cunicularia the Americas
FOREST SPOTTED OWL
Forest spotted owl Heteroglaux blewitti Central India
FOREST OWLS
Tengmalm’s owl Aegolius funereu Europe, N. Asia, N. America
Northern saw-whet owl Aegolius acadicus N. America & N. Mexico
Unspotted saw-whet owl Aegolius ridgwayi S. Mexico & Central America
Buff-fronted owl Aegolius harrisii N.-W. & S. Central South America
HAWK OWLS
Rufous owl Ninox rufa N. Australia & New Guinea
Powerful owl Ninox strenua S.-E. Australia
Barking owl Ninox connivens Australia, New Guinea & Moluccas
Sumba boobook Ninox rudolfi Indonesia
Southern boobook Ninox novaeseelandiae Australasia
Little Sumba hawk owl Ninox sumbaensis Sumba, Indonesia
Brown hawk owl Ninox Ninox scutuluta S. & E. Asia
White-browed hawk owl Ninox superciliaris Madagascar
Philippine hawk owl Ninox philippensis Philippines
Cinnabar hawk owl Ninox ios Sulawesi (Celebes)
Ochre-bellied hawk owl Ninox ochracea Sulawesi (Celebes)
Togian hawk owl Ninox burhani Togian Islands, Sulawesi (Celebes)
Indonesian hawk owl Ninox squamipila S.-E. Asian islands
Christmas hawk owl Ninox natalis Christmas Island
Jungle hawk owl Ninox theomacha New Guinea
Admiralty Islands hawk owl Ninox meeki Admiralty Islands
Speckled hawk owl Ninox punctulata Sulawesi (Celebes)
Bismarck hawk owl Ninox variegata New Britain & New Ireland
‘Noctua vulgaris’, from Manetti’s Ornithologia, I (1767).
‘Aluco aldrov’, from Manetti’s Ornithologia, I (1767).
New Britain hawk owl Ninox odiosa New Britain
Solomon Islands hawk owl Ninox jacquinoti Solomon Islands
PAPUAN HAWK OWL
Papuan hawk owl Uroglaux dimorpha New Guinea
PSEUDO-SCOPS OWLS
Jamaican owl Pseudoscops grammicus Jamaica
Striped owl Pseudoscops clamator Mexico, Central & S. America
FEARFUL OWL
Fearful owl Nesasio solomonensis Solomon Islands
EARED OWLS
Stygian owl Asio stygus Mexico, Central & S. America
Long-eared owl Asio otus Europe, Middle East, Asia, Africa
Abyssinian long-eared owl Asio abyssinicus E. Africa & Zaire
Madagascar long-eared owl Asio madagascariensis E. Madagascar
Short-eared owl Asio flammeus Europe, Asia & the Americas
African marsh owl Asio capensis Sub-Saharan Africa
References
1 PREHISTORIC OWLS
1 Jean-Marie Chauvet et al., Chauvet Cave: The Discovery of the World’s Oldest Paintings (London, 1996), pp. 48–9.
2 Abbé H. Breuil, Four Hundred Centuries of Cave Art (Montignac, Dordogne, 1952), pp. 159 and 162, fig. 123.
3 Ann and Gale Sieveking, The Caves of France and Northern Spain (London, 1962), p. 188.
4 Rosemary Powers and Christopher B. Stringer, ‘Palaeolithic Cave Art Fauna’, Studies in Speleology, II / 7–8 (November 1975), pp. 272–3.
2 ANCIENT OWLS
1 Edward Terrace, Egyptian Paintings of the Middle Kingdom (London, 1968), p. 26.
2 Faith Medlin, Centuries of Owls (Norwalk, CT, 1967) p. 16.
3 Virginia C. Holmgren, Owls in Folklore and Natural History (Santa Barbara, CA, 1988), p. 31.
4 Edward A. Armstrong, The Folklore of Birds (London, 1958), p. 119.
5 C. Plinius Secundus, The Historie of the World. Commonly called The Naturall Historie (London, 1635), Tome I, Bk X, pp. 276–7.
6 Robert W. Bagley, Shang Ritual Bronzes (Cambridge, MA, 1987), pp. 114–16, figs 152–6.
7 Elizabeth P. Benson, The Mochica: A Culture of Peru (London, 1972) p. 52.
3 MEDICINAL OWLS
1 John Swan, Speculum Mundi (Cambridge, 1643), p. 397.
4 SYMBOLIC OWLS
1 Richard Barber, Bestiary (Woodbridge, Suffolk, 1993), p. 149.
2 Sir Walter Scott, A Legend of Montrose (London, 1819), chap. 6.
3 George Wither, A Collection of Emblemes, Ancient and Moderne (London, 1635), Bk 4, illus. XLV, p. 253.
4 Faith Medlin, Centuries of Owls (Norwalk, CT, 1967), p. 46.
5 E. L. Sambourne, Punch (10 April 1875).
5 EMBLEMATIC OWLS
1 Andrea Alciati, Emblematum Liber (Augsberg, 1531). This, the first book of emblems, was immensely popular and ran to 150 editions, the last version appearing in the eighteenth century (Madrid, 1749). A new edition with English translations by John F. Moffitt appeared in 2004, using illustrations from the 1549 edition.
2 Guillaume de la Perrière, Morosophie (Lyons, 1553), printed by Macé Bonhomme.
3 Georgette de Montenay, Emblematum Christianorum centuria (1584).
4 George Wither, A Collection of Emblemes, Ancient and Moderne (London, 1635), Bk 1, illus. IX, p. 9.
5 Ibid., Bk 2, illus. I, p. 63.
6 Ibid., Bk 2, illus. XVII, p. 79.
7 Ibid., Bk 3, illus. XXXIV, p. 168.
6 LITERARY OWLS
1 Lady Parthenope Verney, Life and Death of Athena, an Owlet from the Parthenon (privately printed, 1855). Later reissued as Florence Nightingale’s Pet Owl, Athena: A Sentimental History (San Francisco, 1970) in honour of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale.
2 Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (London, 1965), illus. to chap. 3.
7 TRIBAL OWLS
1 Norman Bancroft-Hunt, People of the Totem: The Indians of the Pacific Northwest (London, 1979), p. 97.
2 Jean Blodgett, Kenojuak (Toronto, 1985).
3 W. T. Larmour, The Art of the Canadian Eskimo (Ottawa, 1967), p. 16.