Types of Owls

Owl Species Index

• Owl Species
  Too many people lump owls into one category but there are actually several different species of them. They vary in size and color even though the overall anatomy of them is very similar. In fact, there are more than 20 known species of owls and some experts believe that they will be able to eventually find even more of them.
• Great Horned Owl
  The Great Horned Owl doesn’t really have horns, but rather ears that are large enough to give that impression. The location of the ears is closer to the middle of the head too than outward like it is for other species of owls.
• Barn Owl
  The Barn Owl has a very distinctive look to the fact. You will notice that almost all species of owls out there have a rounded face. However, this one has a heart shape to it that is very endearing.
• Snowy Owl
  The unique look of the Snowy Owl means that this species is never confused with any other. It is the only one featuring an all white coloring. They also have speckles on the body that are dark gray or black in color.
• Barred Owl
  One of the first things you will notice with the Barred Owl is that they appear to have no ears. They aren’t visible from the top of their head as they are with other species of owls. They are brownish in color as well as shades of gray.
• Burrowing Owl
  The Burrowing Owl happens to have legs that are much longer than any other species of owl. This is a small species of owl with a large head and no visible ears.
• Elf Owl
  The smallest owl found in North America is the Elf Owl. It is only about six inches tall when it is fully grown. The wing span for this small owl is about 14 inches wide.
• Great Gray Owl
  The Great Grey Owl gets its name from the dark and light patterns of gray coloring on its body. It features a tail that is much longer than most species of owls out there.
• Long-Eared Owl
  The Long Eared Owl is one that definitely has prominent ears and that is where their name comes from. They are quite thin compared to the body formation of so many other species of owls out there.
• Short-Eared Owl
  As you may have guessed, the Short Eared Owl doesn’t have very long ears at all. Yet they can hear very well from them. They are small owls with an overall size of 13 to 17 inches when fully grown.
• Northern Pygmy Owl
  The Northern Pygmy Owl is very small in size and has a gray coloring to it. Many people often mistake it for a pigeon due to the coloring. They also have some brown and red though on the edges of their feathers.
• Northern Spotted Owl
  The Northern Spotted Owl is a lovely looking creature. The body has many shades of light and then dark brown. Intertwined with it are areas of white and cream for an overall appearance that is really amazing.
• Screech Owl
  The Screech Owl is a very small species with a size of no more than 10 inches in height. However, they have a wing span of about 24 inches. They are often confused with other types of owls though.
• Tawny Owl
  The Tawny Owl is medium in size and is very round in shape. It has a large head with deep set eyes. The coloring is a rusty brown that have both light and dark shades.
• Australian Masked Owl
  The Australian Masked Owl offers a very interesting look. As the name implies, this species of owl looks like it has a white mask over the face.
• Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl
  The Verreaux’s Eagle Owl is one of the largest species of owls in the world. In fact, it is ranked as number three out there with only the Eurasian Eagle Owl and Blakiston’s Fish Owl being larger.