A quick guide to the Owl Species

There are well over two hundred species of owl in the world, and new types of owls are still being identified each year. Not a lot of knowledge about owls relative to many other birds and animals. Part of the reason is that owls are nocturnal and not easy to follow around. Many people have heard the cry of an owl, especially at night, but they have never seen an owl.

Because owls live almost anywhere in the world unless you live in Antarctica, but chances are pretty good, there is an owl species that live in your area. Some people are afraid of owls, but they are no threat to humans. In reality, helps us all and especially farmers by keeping rodent populations down.

Owl species of birds in order of Strigiformes and there are two different families: the typical owls (Strigidae) and let the owls (Tytonidae). These species tend to be very difficult to identify, even for scientists. One of the first things they think are the shape of the face and whether the owl has ear tufts.

Size and weight is also a consideration. For example, the typical owl species in five to twenty-eight inch range and weight varies from 1.5 ounces to about nine pounds. Barn owl species may be from nine to twenty-one inches tall and weighs somewhere between eight ounces to three pounds. Owls can live to be over twenty years old. Some of the best known owl species owl, spotted owl, Snowy Owl, Northern and Southern whites face owl, Rufous-banded owl and the eastern owl scream.

Owls tend to be very lonely and even mating within the same owl species is not easy in the beginning. The female is obviously afraid of male owl, and it will take awhile for him to convince her that this is all meant to be. The male will often bring food and drop it near his intended mate to show her that there is nothing to fear. Yet it may take many hours before she reacts in a positive way.

Owls lay their eggs during one to three days. This is to ensure the survival of the chicks whose food is not plentiful. Indeed, the female a lower (2-3) or higher (5-6) number of eggs, depending on the available food in a given year. Owls are one of those kinds of birds, where the father takes an active role in their lives, by bringing them food to eat to sit on the eggs. In three months the baby owls can fly and hunt on their own.

Studying owl species that live near you can be an exciting activity. Many places you can take a workshop in which owl species live near you and how you can recognize them. You can even find an owl pellet during a field trip and analyze for yourself what he or she has eaten.