Order Strigiformes Family Strigidae
Owls live on every continent except Antarctica. They belong to two families: typical owls (Strigidae) and barn owls (Tytonidae). Their sizes vary greatly, ranging from 5.12 to 27.56 inches (13 to 70 cm.) Instead of building nests, owls find safe places to nest or use abandoned nests in trees, underground burrows, buildings, barns, and caves.
Owls are solitary and primarily active at night. They mainly hunt small mammals, insects, and other birds, although some species specialize in catching fish. Most owls hunt for their prey only in the dark. Their hunting strategy largely relies on stealth and surprise.
They are very quiet in flight because the barbs of their feathers on the leading wings are soft and have comb-like fringes that break up the airflow over the feathers. This design muffles the sound of their flapping wings. In contrast, eagles lack these fringes, as their feathers have firm trailing edges.
Owls are usually dull-colored birds. They have flat faces with large eyes that face forward with noticeable discs around their eyes that help channel sound into their ear holes. This helps the owls pinpoint the actual location of their prey at night. Their beaks are similar to hawks’ beaks.
Although owls possess binocular vision, their large eyes are fixed in their sockets, similar to other birds, which means they must turn their entire head to change their field of view. Remarkably, owls can rotate their heads and necks up to 270 degrees in either direction. Generally, female owls are larger than their male counterparts.
1. Genus Bubo
The Eagle-owls of this genus are large owls, built with powerful talons and ear tufts of varying sizes.
1.1. Akun Eagle-Owl (Bubo leucostictus) also (Ketupa leucosticte)
Description: Akun Eagle-Owls are smaller than most other types of Eagle-Owls with dark brown ear tufts with white spots. Their upper parts are primarily brown to rufous-brown, featuring pale, dusky brown bars. Their facial discs are dark rufous with pale rings with darker edges, and their eyes are pale yellow to greenish. The ceres and bills are greenish-yellow.
Akun-Eagle-Owls have light reddish-brown feathers on their upper breasts, adorned with dark bars. Their lower breasts, bellies, and vents are white, showcasing reddish-brown vermiculations and large black spots. The tails feature barred patterns, the legs are feathered, and the toes are pale yellow.
- Length – 15.75-18.11 inches (40-46 cm)
- Weight – 17.14-24.34 ounces (486-605 g)
- Wingspan – No current data on this species
Habitat: Akun Eagle-Owls inhabit primary and older secondary forests, forest edges, clearings, riverbanks, forested islands, swamplands, and farmlands with tall trees.
Conservation: IUCN has listed Akun Eagle-Owls as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Akun Eagle-Owls are found along coastlines on the Gulf of Guinea. Their range extends along the Gulf of Guinea from Guinea to Cameroon and south to Angola. They also go inland to the southern Central African Republic, Congo, and the northern Democratic Republic of Congo.
1.2. Barred Eagle-Owl (Bubo sumatranus)
Description: Barred Eagle-Owls are relatively large owls, characterized by their prominent, sideways-tilting dark brown ear tufts, intricately marked with white stripes. They have dirty, whitish facial areas with dark brown eyes, bright yellow ceres (sometimes with greenish tinges), and bills. Their upper bodies are blackish-brown, with rufous-buff stripes. Their flight feathers and tails are dark brown, showing clear white stripes on the top and grayish-white underneath.
The chests of Barred Eagle-Owls are whitish-buff with brown barring, while the rest of their underparts are whitish and feature broader brownish bars. Their legs are feathered down to their light yellow toes with dark horn claws. The sexes are similar in appearance, but females are slightly larger.
- Length – 118.75-19 inches (40 -48 cm)
- Weight – Average 21.87 ounces (620 g)
- Wingspan – No current data on this species
Habitat: Barred Eagle-Owls inhabit lowland evergreen forests, forest edges, and clearings and are also spotted in gardens with tall trees.
Conservation: IUCN has classified Barred Eagle-Owls as Near Threatened (NT) due to habitat loss from deforestation. They are also impacted by hunting for the pet trade.
Distribution: Barred Eagle-Owls are found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand.
1.3. Cape Eagle-Owl (Bubo capensis)
Description: Cape Eagle-Owls are large owls with prominent long ear tufts. Their crowns are fulvous-tawny to greyish-brown with blackish spots and mottling. They have pale buff-brown facial discs bordered with distinct black. Their eyes can be orange-yellow or orange, their ceres are grayish, and their bills are a dusky horn color. Their upper parts are dark brown with whitish black and fulvous-tawny spots or mottling. Their flight feathers are dark brown with broad, light, rufous buff bars.
Cape Eagle-Owls have white throats and light reddish-brown underparts that are whiter in the center of their breasts and bellies. The upper sides of their breasts are marked with numerous black spots, while the rest of their underparts exhibit some black spots and rough stripes. Their legs and toes are densely feathered, featuring brown toes and dark horn claws. Females are similar to males but are larger in size.
- Length – 18.9-22.4 inches (48-57 cm)
- Weight – 31.7-49.4 ounces (900-1400 g)
- Wingspan – 47.2-49.2 inches (120-125 cm) –
Habitat: Cape Eagle-Owls live mainly in mountainous areas and hills where they can find rocky resting places. They can also be found in nearby woodlands, scrublands, grasslands, and wooded valleys.
Conservation: IUCN has listed the Cape Eagle-Owl as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Cape Eagle-Owls live only in the southernmost parts of southern Africa and some regions of East Africa.
1.4. Dusky Eagle-Owl (Bubo coromandus)
Description: Dusky Eagle-Owls are characterized by their prominent, rounded ear tufts. They have pale facial discs that are outlined with fine black lines. They have bright yellow eyes, gray ceres, and gray bills. The upper parts are dusky gray, adorned with narrow, widely spaced streaks and buffy-white spots on the wing coverts.
Dusky Eagle Owls have pale buff-gray underparts, fine barring, dark brown streaks, and white patches on their shoulders. They have feathered legs, and their feet are gray with dark gray claws. While females resemble males, they are slightly larger.
- Length – 18.9-20.9 inches (48-53 cm)
- Weight – No current data on this species
- Wingspan – Can reach 47 inches (120 cm)
Habitat: Dusky Eagle-Owls inhabit well-wooded wetlands, agricultural areas, plantations, and thick foliage groves and trees near water.
Conservation: IUCN has listed Dusky Eagle-Owls as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Dusky Eagle-Owls are found in several regions, including Pakistan, India, and southern Nepal. They also occur in Assam and Bangladesh, extending to Myanmar, south Thailand, Malaysia, and China.
1.5. Eurasian Eagle-Owl (Bubo bubo)
Description: Eurasian Eagle-Owls are large owls with prominent ear tufts, their upper parts are mostly warm buff-brown, mottled black, with barred buffish and dark brown feathers and tails. Their foreheads and crowns have dense freckling, and their facial discs are buffer gray-brown with distinct dark borders, their eyes are golden to orange, and their ceres grayish olive with blackish bills.
Eurasian Eagle-Owls have whitish necks and brownish-orange to buff underparts that become paler on their bellies. Their chests feature heavy black droplets, while their flanks and bellies display narrower streaking. They have feathered legs with blackish-brown talons and black tips. Females are similar in appearance but are slightly larger than males.
- Length – 22.8-27.95 inches (58-71 cm)
- Weight – 54.67-101.5 ounces (1550-2800 g)
- Wingspan – 63-74 inches (160-188 cm)
Similar to:
- Blakiston’s Fish-Owl. Blakiston’s Fish-Owls have yellow eyes; Eurasian Eagle-Owls have orange eyes.
- Great Horned Owl. Ranges do not overlap.
- Long-eared Owl. Eurasian Eagle-Owls are much bigger than Long-eared Owls. Eurasian eagle owls have proportionally larger heads and chests.
- Rock Eagle-Owl. Rock Eagle-Owls have white facial disks; Eurasian Eagle-Owls have tawny-buff facial disks.
Habitat: Eurasian Eagle-Owls live in many environments, such as coniferous forests and warm deserts. They prefer remote places like rocky areas with cliffs and ravines, caves, woodlands, trees, or groves. You can also find them in untouched wilderness, wooded steppe, small fields for farming, and even garbage dumps.
Conservation: IUCN has listed Eurasian Eagle-Owls as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Eurasian Eagle-Owls can be found in Europe, northern Asia, and the Middle East.
1.6. Fraser’s Eagle-Owl (Bubo poensis)
Description: Fraser’s Eagle-Owls are medium-sized owls characterized by their fluffy buff-dark ear tufts. They have pale, rufous facial disks bordered in black, and their eyes range from brown to dark brown, complemented by light blue eyelids. The ceres of these owls are gray. Their upper parts are a mix of rufous and buffy brown, featuring darker bars, and they display a series of pale dots on their shoulders.
Fraser’s Eagle-Owls have pale underparts, ranging from rufous upper breasts with dark patches to whitish bellies with lighter barring. They possess feathered legs and pale blue-gray toes with blackish-brown claws. While females are similar to males, they are larger in size.
- Length – 15.4-16.5 inches (39-42 cm)
- Weight – Averages 20.3 ounces (575 g)
- Wingspan – No current data on this species
Habitat: Fraser’s Eagle-Owls reside in primary evergreen and semi-evergreen rainforests, forest clearings, and cardamom plantations. They are also found in logged forests and occasionally in gardens near farmlands.
Conservation: IUCN has listed Fraser’s Eagle-Owls as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Fraser’s Eagle-Owls inhabit various regions, including Guinea, Liberia, and western Uganda, extending across the Congo Basin to central DR Congo and northwest Angola. They are also present in Bioko and have small populations in northwestern Tanzania.
1.7. Grayish Eagle-Owl also Vermiculated Eagle-Owl (Bubo cinerascens)
Description: Grayish Eagle-Owls have mottled dark brown, buff, and white upperparts with finely barred grayish underparts, giving them a grayish look. Their facial disks are brownish with heavy brown circles around each eye, and they do not have very erectile short ear tufts. Their eyes are brown, and their bills are grayish.
- Length – 15.4-17 inches (39-43 cm)
- Weight – 12.6-15.9 ounces (350-450 g)
- Wingspan – 39.4-55 inches (100-140 cm)
Habitat: Grayish Eagle-Owls inhabit woodland and open savanna habitats, often around cliffs and other dry, rocky deserts.
Conservation: IUCN has listed Grayish Eagle-Owls as the Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Grayish Eagle-Owls inhabit a central band across Africa, ranging from Senegal and Liberia in the West to Sudan and Kenya in the East.
1.8. Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
Description: Great Horned Owls are large, sturdy birds characterized by their long, distinctive ear tufts and prominent white “eyebrows.” They have striking appearances, featuring mottled gray-brown upperparts and well-defined reddish-brown facial disks, which may also appear gray depending on geographical and racial variations. Their crowns and mantles display fine barring in dark and light brown, while their eyes are a vivid yellow and their bills have a gunmetal gray color.
Great Horned Owls have brownish-buff underparts that become paler toward their bellies. They display various white patches on their throats, particularly noticeable when puffing them out while calling. Their upper breasts feature dark blotches and some crossing lines, while the rest of the underside displays a combination of light and dark bars. Their legs and feet have tawny buff feathers, and they possess black talons. Both sexes appear similar, but females are slightly larger than males.
- Length – 16.9-25.2 inches (43-64 cm)
- Weight – 32.1-88.2 ounces (910-2500 g)
- Wingspan – 39.8-57 inches (101-145 cm)
Similar to:
- Eurasian Eagle Owl. Ranges do not overlap.
- Long-eared Owl. Great Horned Owls are much bigger than Long-eared Owls. Great Horned Owls have proportionally larger heads and chests.
Habitat: Great Horned Owls have adapted to a wide variety of habitats. They can be found in dense deciduous, mixed, or conifer forests, swamps, orchards, deserts, open fields, pastures, croplands, and even city parks.
Conservation: IUCN has listed Great Horned Owls as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Great Horned Owls are found across North America, extending to Central and South America.
1.9. Pharaoh Eagle-Owl (Bubo ascalaphus)
Description. Pharaoh Eagle-Owls have tawny heads featuring pale tawny crowns adorned with numerous blackish-brown spots. The rest of their upper parts are mottled tawny and have relatively short, pointed ear tufts. Their facial discs are plain pale tawny with darker rims composed of small black spots. The eyes can range from yellow to deep orange, while their ceres are grayish, and they possess robust, hooked bills that are black.
Pharaoh Eagle-Owls have white throats and creamy-white underparts. Their upper breasts are mottled tawny, while their lower breasts and bellies show reddish-brown fine barring. Their legs and toes are covered in light tawny feathers, and their tips look sooty-brown. Their claws are dark brown. Both sexes appear similar, but females are slightly larger than males.
- Length – 18.1-19.7 inches (46-50 cm)
- Weight – 67-81.1 ounces (1900-2300 g)
- Wingspan – No current data on this species
Habitat: Pharaoh Eagle-Owls primarily inhabit open, barren plains or deserts with scattered palms and other native plants. They nest in rocky outcrops, wadis, and cliffs and roost during the day in rocky crevices or trees when available.
Conservation: IUCN has listed Pharaoh Eagle-Owls as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Pharaoh Eagle-owls are found in Northwestern Africa and have a scattered presence across northern Africa and the Middle East, extending to Oman.
1.10. Philippine Eagle-Owl (Bubo philippensis)
Description: Philippine Eagle-Owls are medium-sized owls, the largest owl species in the Philippines. They have square-shaped heads with tousled, outward-slanting ear tufts and rufous-buff facial discs. Their eyes are bright yellow to golden yellow, and their ceres are horn blue. The upper parts of their bodies are dark and rufous, featuring broad dark stripes.
Philippine Eagle-Owls have unmarked buffy throats, whitish lower chests, and bellies with dark brown streaks. Their feathered legs feature pale grayish-brown toes and dark brown to black claws.
- Length – 15.7-19.7 inches (40-50 cm)
- Weight – Average 70.4 ounces (2000 gm)
- Wingspan – Average 48 inches (151.9 cm)
Habitat: Philippine Eagle-Owls inhabit lowland forests edges and montane forests, which are mostly near rivers and lakes. They are also found in coconut plantations.
Conservation: IUCN has listed Philippine Eagle-Owls as Vulnerable (VU) due to deforestation, logging concessions, and mining applications.
Distribution: Philippine Eagle-Owls are endemic to the Philippines.
1.11. Rock Eagle-Owl, also Bengal Eagle-owl, also Indian Eagle-Owl (Bubo bengalensis)
Description: Rock Eagle-Owls are large owls with prominent dark ear tufts, buffy brown foreheads, and light facial discs bordered with black. Their eyes are deep yellowish to orange, their ceres are grayish, and their bills are greenish-horn to slaty-black. Their upper parts are tawny brown, mottled, and streaked with blackish brown. Their wings and tail feathers are tawny-buff and barred with blackish brown.
Their chins and upper throats are white, while their upper breasts are tawny brown with small dark streaks. The rest of their underparts have fine streaks and faint cross-bars, which become less noticeable towards their abdomens. They have feathered legs and dusky black talons. Both sexes appear similar, but females are slightly larger than males.
- Length – 19.7-22 inches (50-56 cm)
- Weight – Average 38.8 ounces (1100 g)
- Wingspan – 49.2-59 inches (125-150 cm)
Similar to Eurasian Eagle-Owl: Rock Eagle-Owls have white facial disks; Eurasian Eagle-Owls have tawny-buff facial disks.
Habitat: Rock Eagle-Owls inhabit hilly hills, wooded areas with scrub, rocky scrub forests, ravines, plantations, and groves with aged trees, and are also seen near cultivation and villages.
Conservation: IUCN has listed Rock Eagle-Owls as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Rock Eagle-Owls are found on the Indian subcontinent (except in Sri Lanka).
1.12. Shelley’s Eagle-Owl (Bubo shelleyi)
Description: Shelley’s Eagle-Owls are large dark owls, with dark brown “tousled” ear tufts. Their facial discs are creamy to tawny with dusky bars and edged with black. They have dark brown eyes, bluish gray ceres, and long pale creamy bills. Their upper parts are dark sooty black-brown with lighter bars, and their flight feathers and tails are barred dusky, and dark buff.
Shelley’s Eagle-Owls breasts and bellies are cream to white with bold, broad dusky bars, their feet are fully feathered with pale cream toes, and dark brown claws with black tips. Both sexes appear similar, but females are larger than males.
- Length – 20.9-24 inches (53-61 cm)
- Weight – Average 44.3 ounces (1257 g)
- Wingspan – No current data on this species
Habitat: Shelley’s Eagle-Owls inhabit lowland primary rainforests and forest edges, edge of clearings, and gallery forests.
Conservation: IUCN has listed Shelley’s Eagle-Owls Vulnerable (VU) due to habitat destruction for timber and agriculture. Additionally, they are indirectly affected by hunting, which decreases prey availability.
Distribution: Shelley’s Eagle-Owls are found in Central and Western Africa, from Sierra Leone and Liberia east to Ghana, and southern Cameroon and northern Gabon east to northern DR Congo, and south to southern Congo.
1.13. Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) (formerly in genus Nyctea)
Description: Snowy Owls are large, predominantly white owls featuring subtle ear tufts and rounded heads. Males are almost entirely white, occasionally displaying narrow, sparse pale gray or brown barring on their backs, wings, and tails. They have large yellow eyes and black bills surrounded by long rictal bristles, which nearly conceal their bills.
In contrast, females are larger than males and exhibit dark barring on their upper parts, from their lower chests to their vents. Their legs are heavily feathered, with long feathers covering their toes, and they possess black claws.
- Length – 20-30 inches (51-68.5 cm)
- Weight – 40-70.5 ounces (1134-2000 g)
- Wingspan – 49-57 inches (124.5-144.8 cm)
Habitat: Snowy Owls inhabit mostly expansive open habitats. Often encountered on lakeshores and in coastal areas with fields, marshes, piers, and sand dunes.
Conservation: IUCN has listed Snowy Owls as Vulnerable (VU) mainly due to hunting pressures. These birds have been hunted for taxidermy, and both their eggs and adults are pursued for food, feathers, and claws. Additionally, urban development can degrade their breeding habitats in some areas. In certain regions, Snowy Owls also face significant threats from getting caught in traps set for foxes.
Distribution: Snowy Owls are found on the Arctic tundra, breeding and wintering in northern Eurasia and North America. They also winter irregularly from the breeding range south to Iceland, the British Isles, north of continental Europe, central Russia, northern China, and Sakhalin.
1.14. Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl (Bubo nipalensis)
Description: Spot-bellied Eagle-Owls are powerful owls characterized by their long ear tufts, which slant off the sides and vary in length, creating a somewhat scraggly appearance at the tips. They have whitish facial discs, dark brown eyes, and bills and ceres that range from pale to bright yellow. Their upperparts are grayish-brown, featuring a dark, coarse brown coloration on the back and upper wings.
The Spot-bellied Eagle-Owls have light brown feathers on their underparts. They display black and white stripes on their sides, transitioning into broad V-shaped patterns on their bellies and undertail feathers. Their legs are fully covered in feathers, and their feet are yellowish-gray with dark gray claws. Although males and females look very similar, females are larger.
- Length – 20-24.8 inches (51-63 cm)
- Weight – 45.9-52.9 ounces (1300-1500 g)
- Wingspan – 56 inches (143 cm)
Similar to Barred Eagle-Owl. Barred Eagle-Owls have continuous bars on their underparts; Spot-bellied Eagle-Owls have separate black marks that do not form bars.
Habitat: Spot-bellied Eagle-Owls inhabit dense evergreen and moist deciduous forests, whether primary or secondary. They also hunt in foothills featuring mixed teak forests, scrub, bamboo jungles, and the edges of clearings near water.
Conservation: IUCN has listed Spot-Bellied Eagle-Owls as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Spot-bellied Eagle-Owls occur from the Himalayas east to central Vietnam, and separately in southwest India and Sri Lanka.
1.15. Spotted Eagle-Owl (Bubo africanus)
Description: Spotted Eagle-Owls are among the smaller species of eagle-owls. They are known for their upright ear tufts on their brown-gray heads. Their necks have white to light brown spots. The color of their facial discs ranges from white to light tan, and they have black rims around them. They have yellow eyes, gray ceres, black bills, and white chins. Their upperparts are mostly gray-brown with light gray and white markings and spots, especially on their backs, shoulders, and wing feathers. Their tails show wide dark gray and white bars.
Their throats are white, while the rest of their underparts are light and feature pale gray-brown bars and large spots on the sides of their breasts. Their bellies are mostly pale with a buff tint. They have feathered legs and gray-brown feet. Females are similar to males but are larger in size.
- Length – 15.7-17.7 inches (40-45 cm)
- Weight – 16-32 ounces (454-907 gm)
- Wingspan – 39.3-55 inches (100-140 cm)
Habitat: Spotted Eagle-Owls inhabit various environments, including rocky outcrops in deserts, open or semi-open woodlands with sparse ground cover, grasslands, thorny savannas, and suburban gardens.
Conservation: IUCN has listed Spotted-Eagle-Owls as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Spotted Eagle-Owls are widespread throughout the sub-Saharan region of Africa, from South Africa north to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and as far as southern Uganda and central Kenya. They can also be found in South Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman.
1.16. Usambara Eagle-Owl (Bubo vosseleri) sub-species of Fraser’s Eagle-Owl
Description: Usambara Eagle-Owls are large owls characterized by their long, tawny brown ear tufts. Their facial discs are pale tawny and bordered by broad black stripes on each side. The owls have dull yellowish-orange eyes with bluish-white eyelids and bluish-white bills. Their upperparts are tawny brown, adorned with darker brown bars.
Their underparts are creamy white, while their legs and feet are whitish. Females are similar to males but tend to be larger in size.
- Length – Average 19 inches (49 cm)
- Weight – Little known for this species
- Wingspan – Little known for this species
Similar to Fraser’s Eagle-Owl. Usambara Eagle-Owls are slightly larger, featuring a more prominent dark margin on their facial discs. They also have denser, darker blotches on their breasts and fainter markings on the rest of their underparts.
Habitat: Usambara Eagle-Owls natural habitats are found in montane and submontane forests.
Conservation: Usambara Eagle-Owls are listed as Vulnerable due to habitat loss.
Distribution: Usambara Eagle-Owls are endemic to the Usambara Mountains, Tanga Region, Tanzania.
1.17. Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl (Bubo lacteus)
Description: Verreaux’s Eagle-Owls are the largest owls in Africa, and they have small, blunt, fluffy ear tufts (often not sighted). Their facial discs are whitish, rimmed in black, their eyes are dark brown with distinctively, conspicuous pink eyelids. Their bills are pale creamy with black bristles at their bases and bluey gray ceres. Their upper parts are brownish-gray with light vermiculations and white spots on their shoulders. Their flight and tail feathers are barred, light, and dark.
Verreaux’s Eagle-Owls have prominent white throats that are noticeable when they call. Their underparts are whitish and feature fine dark gray-brown vermiculations, with the darkest markings on their upper breasts. The owls’ legs and toes are fully feathered and end in black claws. Females are similar to males but are larger in size.
- Length – 23-26 inches (58-66 cm)
- Weight – 57-69.1 ounces (1615–1960 g)
- Wingspan – Average 55 inches (140 cm)
Habitat: Verreaux’s Eagle-Owls inhabit open arid savannas and woodlands, riparian woodlands, and small forest patches. They prefer areas with tall trees for breeding and roosting.
Conservation: IUCN has listed Verreaux’s Eagle-Owls as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Verreaux’s Eagle-Owls are found throughout most sub-Saharan Africa, south of the Sahara and south to the Cape.
Conclusion
Eagle-owls are primarily nocturnal and are effective silent hunters, playing an important role in controlling pest populations. However, when observed during the day, they exhibit a calm, wise, and nonchalant demeanor that makes them fascinating and captivating to study.
Eagle-owls face several significant threats that endanger their survival, including habitat loss, hunting, the pet trade, and taxidermy—knowing the specific dangers each eagle-owl species faces is important. This information helps create effective conservation and management plans. These plans should aim to protect the eagle-owls and their habitats. This way, future generations can appreciate and enjoy these amazing birds.
