We often utilize the term owl to refer to a fool.  But, do you know that barn owls are recorded among intelligent birds. This bird is intelligent as well as mysterious.

Interesting Facts about Barn Owl

All species of owl belong to two families:

Titanidae (True Owl Family or Tytonidae) and

Strigidae (Bran-Owl Family or Strigidae)

There are about 224 species of owls in the Strigidae family, while there are about 20 in the Tyonidae family.

About 33 species of owls are found in India.

The main difference between the two owl families is the shape of their faces. Owls possess a heart-shaped face, while the owls of the Strigidae family possess a round-faced face.

Owls are found in almost all continents except Antarctica.

Birds like owls Berry Ornis and Ogygoptynx are also found 60 million years ago. 

The lifespan of an owl in the forest is about 25 years. Large-sized owls possess a longer lifespan than small-sized owls. The lifespan of an owl in servitude is about 30 years.

The female owl is bigger than the male owl.

‘Eagle owl’ or ‘Bubo bubo’ of European breeds is the world’s largest owl.  It possesses an average length of 66 to 71 cm (26 to 28 in) and a weight of 6 to 4 kg (3 lb 8 oz to 8 lb 13 in).

In terms of length, the Great Gray Owl of North America is the world’s longest owl, which can grow up to 32 inches long.

Names of Owl Species are as following:

Tytonidae Owls

  • African Grass-Owl (Tyto capensis)
  • Ashy-Faced Owl (Tyto glaucops)
  • Australian Masked-Owl (Tyto novaehollandiae)
  • Common Barn-Owl (Tyto alba)
  • Greater Sooty-Owl (Tyto tenebricosa)
  • Lesser Sooty-Owl (Tyto multipunctata)
  • **Congo Bay-Owl (Phodilus prigoginei)
  • Seram Masked-Owl (Tyto almae)
  • Sri Lanka Bay-Owl (Phodilus assimilis)
  • Sulawesi Masked-Owl (Tyto rosenbergii)
  • Eastern Grass-Owl (Tyto longimembris)
  • *Golden Masked-Owl (Tyto aurantia)
  • *Madagascar Red Owl (Tyto soumagnei)
  • *Minahassa Masked-Owl (Tyto inexspectata)
  • Oriental Bay-Owl (Phodilus badius)
  • *Taliabu Masked-Owl (Tyto nigrobrunnea)

Strigidae Owls

  • Amazonian Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium hardyi)
  • Andaman Boobook (Ninox affinis)
  • Andaman Scops-Owl (Otus balli)
  • Austral Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium nana)
  • Baja Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium hoskinsii)
  • Balsas Screech-Owl (Megascops seductus)
  • Band-Bellied Owl (Pulsatrix melanota)
  • *Banggai Scops-Owl (Otus mendeni)
  • Bare-Legged Screech-Owl (Margarobyas lawrencii)
  • Bare-Shanked Screech-Owl (Megascops clarkii)
  • Barking Owl (Ninox connivens)
  • Barred Eagle-Owl (Bubo sumatranus)
  • Barred Owl (Strix varia)
  • *Bearded Screech-Owl (Megascops barbarus)
  • *Biak Scops-Owl (Otus beccarii)
  • Bismarck Boobook (Ninox variegata)
  • Black-and-White Owl (Ciccaba nigrolineata)
  • Black-Banded Owl (Ciccaba huhula)
  • Black-Capped Screech-Owl (Megascops atricapilla)
  • **Blakiston’s Eagle-Owl (Bubo blakistoni)
  • Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus)
  • Brown Boobook (Ninox scutulata)
  • Andean Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium jardinii)
  • **Anjouan Scops-Owl (Otus capnodes)
  • **Annobon Scops-Owl (Otus feae)
  • Arabian Scops-Owl (Otus pamelae)
  • Asian Barred Owlet (Glaucidium cuculoides)
  • Brown Fish-Owl (Ketupa zeylonensis)
  • Brown Wood-Owl (Strix leptogrammica)
  • Buff-Fronted Owl (Aegolius harrisii)
  • Buffy Fish-Owl (Ketupa ketupu)
  • Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)
  • Buru Boobook (Ninox hantu)
  • **Camiguin Boobook (Ninox leventisi)
  • Cape Eagle-Owl (Bubo capensis)
  • **Cebu Boobook (Ninox rumseyi)
  • Central American Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium griseiceps)
  • Chaco Owl (Strix chacoensis)
  • Chestnut Owlet (Glaucidium castaneum)
  • *Chestnut-Backed Owlet (Glaucidium castanotum)
  • *Chocolate Boobook (Ninox randi)
  • *Christmas Boobook (Ninox natalis)
  • *Cinnabar Boobook (Ninox ios)
  • Cinnamon Screech-Owl (Megascops petersoni)
  • *Cloudforest Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium nubicola)
  • *Cloudforest Screech-Owl (Megascops marshalli)
  • Colima Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium palmarum)
  • Collared Owlet (Glaucidium brodiei)
  • Collared Scops-Owl (Otus lettia)
  • *Colombian Screech-Owl (Megascops colombianus)
  • Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium costaricanum)
  • Crested Owl (Lophostrix cristata)
  • Cuban Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium siju)
  • African Barred Owlet (Glaucidium capense)
  • African Long-Eared Owl (Asio abyssinicus)
  • African Scops-Owl (Otus senegalensis)
  • African Wood-Owl (Strix woodfordii)
  • Akun Eagle-Owl (Bubo leucostictus)
  • *Albertine Owlet (Glaucidium albertinum)
  • Desert Tawny Owl (Strix hadorami)
  • Dusky Eagle-Owl (Bubo coromandus)
  • Eastern Screech-Owl (Megascops asio)
  • Elf Owl (Micrathene whitneyi)
  • *Enggano Scops-Owl (Otus enganensis)
  • Eurasian Eagle-Owl (Bubo bubo)
  • Eurasian Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium passerinum)
  • Eurasian Scops-Owl (Otus scops)
  • *Fearful Owl (Nesasio solomonensis)
  • Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum)
  • Flammulated Owl (Psiloscops flammeolus)
  • **Flores Scops-Owl (Otus alfredi)
  • **Forest Owlet (Heteroglaux blewitti)
  • Fraser’s Eagle-Owl (Bubo poensis)
  • Fulvous Owl (Strix fulvescens)
  • *Giant Scops-Owl (Otus gurneyi)
  • **Grand Comoro Scops-Owl (Otus pauliani)
  • Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa)
  • Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
  • Greyish Eagle-Owl (Bubo cinerascens)
  • *Guadalcanal Boobook (Ninox granti)
  • Guatemalan Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium cobanense)
  • Guatemalan Screech-Owl (Megascops guatemalae)
  • Halmahera Boobook (Ninox hypogramma)
  • Himalayan Owl (Strix nivicolum)
  • Hume’s Boobook (Ninox obscura)
  • Indian Scops-Owl (Otus bakkamoena)
  • Koepcke’s Screech-Owl (Megascops koepckeae)
  • *Least Boobook (Ninox sumbaensis)
  • Least Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium minutissimum)
  • Little Owl (Athene noctua)
  • Long-Tufted Screech-Owl (Megascops sanctaecatarinae)
  • **Long-Whiskered Owlet (Xenoglaux loweryi)
  • Luzon Boobook (Ninox philippensis)
  • *Luzon Highland Scops-Owl (Otus longicornis)
  • Luzon Lowland Scops-Owl (Otus megalotis)
  • Madagascar Long-Eared Owl (Asio madagascariensis)
  • Madagascar Scops-Owl (Otus rutilus)
  • Magellanic Horned Owl (Bubo magellanicus)
  • White-Browed Owl (Athene superciliaris)
  • *White-Fronted Scops-Owl (Otus sagittatus)
  • White-Throated Screech-Owl (Megascops albogularis)
  • Yungas Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium bolivianum)
  • Yungas Screech-Owl (Megascops hoyi)
  • *Makira Boobook (Ninox roseoaxillaris)
  • *Malaita Boobook (Ninox malaitae)
  • Maned Owl (Jubula lettii)
  • *Mantanani Scops-Owl (Otus mantananensis)
  • Manus Boobook (Ninox meeki)
  • Marsh Owl (Asio capensis)
  • Mayotte Scops-Owl (Otus mayottensis)
  • *Mentawai Scops-Owl (Otus mentawi)
  • *Mindanao Boobook (Ninox spilocephala)
  • *Mindanao Highland Scops-Owl (Otus mirus)
  • Jamaican Owl (Pseudoscops grammicus)
  • Japanese Scops-Owl (Otus semitorques)
  • Javan Owlet (Glaucidium castanopterum)
  • *Javan Scops-Owl (Otus angelinae)
  • Jungle Boobook (Ninox theomacha)
  • Jungle Owlet (Glaucidium radiatum)
  • Mindanao Lowland Scops-Owl (Otus everetti)
  • *Mindoro Boobook (Ninox mindorensis)
  • *Mindoro Scops-Owl (Otus mindorensis)
  • **Moheli Scops-Owl (Otus moheliensis)
  • Moluccan Scops-Owl (Otus magicus)
  • Morepork (Ninox novaeseelandiae)
  • Mottled Owl (Ciccaba virgata)
  • Mottled Wood-Owl (Strix ocellata)
  • Mountain Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium gnoma)
  • Mountain Scops-Owl (Otus spilocephalus)
  • *New Britain Boobook (Ninox odiosa)
  • Nicobar Scops-Owl (Otus alius)
  • Northern Boobook (Ninox japonica)
  • Northern Hawk-Owl (Surnia ulula)
  • Northern Long-Eared Owl (Asio otus)
  • Northern Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium californicum)
  • Northern Saw-Whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus)
  • Northern White-Faced Owl (Ptilopsis leucotis)
  • *Ochre-Bellied Boobook (Ninox ochracea)
  • Omani Owl (Strix omanensis)
  • Oriental Scops-Owl (Otus sunia)
  • Pacific Screech-Owl (Megascops cooperi)
  • Palau Owl (Pyrroglaux podargina)
  • *Palawan Scops-Owl (Otus fuliginosus)
  • Pallid Scops-Owl (Otus brucei)
  • Papuan Boobook (Uroglaux dimorpha)
  • Pearl-Spotted Owlet (Glaucidium perlatum)
  • Pel’s Fishing-Owl (Scotopelia peli)
  • *Pemba Scops-Owl (Otus pembaensis)
  • **Pernambuco Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium mooreorum)
  • Peruvian Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium peruanum)
  • *Reddish Scops-Owl (Otus rufescens)
  • *Rinjani Scops-Owl (Otus jolandae)
  • Rock Eagle-Owl (Bubo bengalensis)
  • *Romblon Boobook (Ninox spilonotus)
  • Rufescent Screech-Owl (Megascops ingens)
  • *Rufous Fishing-Owl (Scotopelia ussheri)
  • Rufous Owl (Ninox rufa)
  • Rufous-Banded Owl (Ciccaba albitarsis)
  • Rufous-Legged Owl (Strix rufipes)
  • *Rusty-Barred Owl (Strix hylophila)
  • *Ryukyu Scops-Owl (Otus elegans)
  • Sandy Scops-Owl (Otus icterorhynchus)
  • Sangihe Scops-Owl (Otus collari)
  • *Sao Tome Scops-Owl (Otus hartlaubi)
  • Seram Boobook (Ninox squamipila)
  • **Serendib Scops-Owl (Otus thilohoffmanni)
  • **Seychelles Scops-Owl (Otus insularis)
  • *Shelley’s Eagle-Owl (Bubo shelleyi)
  • Short-Eared Owl (Asio flammeus)
  • **Siau Scops-Owl (Otus siaoensis)
  • *Simeulue Scops-Owl (Otus umbra)
  • Sjostedt’s Owlet (Glaucidium sjostedti)
  • *Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus)
  • Socotra Scops-Owl (Otus socotranus)
  • **Sokoke Scops-Owl (Otus ireneae)
  • Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook)
  • Southern White-Faced Owl (Ptilopsis granti)
  • Speckled Boobook (Ninox punctulata)
  • Spectacled Owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata)
  • Spot-Bellied Eagle-Owl (Bubo nipalensis)
  • Spotted Eagle-Owl (Bubo africanus)
  • *Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis)
  • Spotted Owlet (Athene brama)
  • Spotted Wood-Owl (Strix seloputo)
  • Peruvian Screech-Owl (Megascops roboratus)
  • Pharaoh Eagle-Owl (Bubo ascalaphus)
  • *Philippine Eagle-Owl (Bubo philippensis)
  • Powerful Owl (Ninox strenua)
  • Puerto Rican Screech-Owl (Megascops nudipes)
  • Rajah Scops-Owl (Otus brookii)
  • Red-Chested Owlet (Glaucidium tephronotum)
  • Striped Owl (Asio clamator)
  • Stygian Owl (Asio stygius)
  • Subtropical Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium parkeri)
  • *Sula Scops-Owl (Otus sulaensis)
  • Sulawesi Scops-Owl (Otus manadensis)
  • *Sulu Boobook (Ninox reyi)
  • *Sumba Boobook (Ninox rudolfi)
  • Sunda Scops-Owl (Otus lempiji)
  • *Tamaulipas Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium sanchezi)
  • Tanimbar Boobook (Ninox forbesi)
  • Tasmanian Boobook (Ninox leucopsis)
  • Tawny Fish-Owl (Ketupa flavipes)
  • Tawny Owl (Strix aluco)
  • Tawny-Bellied Screech-Owl (Megascops watsonii)
  • Tawny-Browed Owl (Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana)
  • *Togian Boobook (Ninox burhani)
  • Tropical Screech-Owl (Megascops choliba)
  • Tucuman Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium tucumanum)
  • Unspotted Saw-Whet Owl (Aegolius ridgwayi)
  • Ural Owl (Strix uralensis)
  • Vermiculated Fishing-Owl (Scotopelia bouvieri)
  • Vermiculated Screech-Owl (Megascops vermiculatus)
  • Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl (Bubo lacteus)
  • *Visayan Scops-Owl (Otus nigrorum)
  • Wallace’s Scops-Owl (Otus silvicola)
  • West Solomons Boobook (Ninox jacquinoti)
  • Western Screech-Owl (Megascops kennicottii)
  • Wetar Scops-Owl (Otus tempestatis)
  • Whiskered Screech-Owl (Megascops trichopsis)

Owl Names Original Source :

https://www.thespruce.com/owl-species-list-385440