a b Krüger, Oliver (September 2005). "The evolution of reversed sexual size dimorphism in hawks, falcons and owls: a comparative study" (PDF). Evolutionary Ecology. 19 (5): 467–486. doi: 10.1007/s10682-005-0293-9. S2CID 22181702. An owl's sharp beak and powerful talons allow it to kill its prey before swallowing it whole (if it is not too big). Scientists studying the diets of owls are helped by their habit of regurgitating the indigestible parts of their prey (such as bones, scales, and fur) in the form of pellets. These "owl pellets" are plentiful and easy to interpret, and are often sold by companies to schools for dissection by students as a lesson in biology and ecology. [34] Breeding and reproduction While the auditory and visual capabilities of the owl allow it to locate and pursue its prey, the talons and beak of the owl do the final work. The owl kills its prey using these talons to crush the skull and knead the body. [26] The crushing power of an owl's talons varies according to prey size and type, and by the size of the owl. The burrowing owl ( Athene cunicularia), a small, partly insectivorous owl, has a release force of only 5N. The larger barn owl ( Tyto alba) needs a force of 30N to release its prey, and one of the largest owls, the great horned owl ( Bubo virginianus) needs a force over 130N to release prey in its talons. [31] An owl's talons, like those of most birds of prey, can seem massive in comparison to the body size outside of flight. The Tasmanian masked owl has some of the proportionally longest talons of any bird of prey; they appear enormous in comparison to the body when fully extended to grasp prey. [32] An owl's claws are sharp and curved. The family Tytonidae has inner and central toes of about equal length, while the family Strigidae has an inner toe that is distinctly shorter than the central one. [31] These different morphologies allow efficiency in capturing prey specific to the different environments they inhabit. Johnsgard, Paul A. (2002): North American Owls: Biology and Natural History, 2nd ed. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. ISBN 1-56098-939-4. Hughes A. (1979). "A schematic eye for the rat". Vision Res. 19 (5): 569–588. doi: 10.1016/0042-6989(79)90143-3. PMID 483586. S2CID 10317667.

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Eostrix (Early Eocene of United States, Europe, and Mongolia). E. gulottai is the smallest known fossil (or living) owl. [50] Left Strigidae: Tawny owl ( Strix aluco), Eurasian eagle-owl ( Bubo bubo), Little owl ( Athene noctua), Northern saw-whet owl ( Aegolius acadicus); Right Tytonidae: Barn owl ( Tyto alba), Lesser sooty owl ( Tyto multipunctata), Tasmanian masked owl ( Tyto novaehollandiae castanops), Sri Lanka bay owl ( Phodilus assimilis). A different theory suggests that the size difference between male and females is due to sexual selection: since large females can choose their mate and may violently reject a male's sexual advances, smaller male owls that have the ability to escape unreceptive females are more likely to have been selected. [14]

Sibley, Charles Gald& Monroe, Burt L. Jr. (1990): Distribution and taxonomy of the birds of the world: A Study in Molecular Evolution. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. ISBN 0-300-04969-2 According to the culture of the Hopi, a Uto-Aztec tribe, taboos surround owls, which are associated with sorcery and other evils.

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Larco Herrera, Rafael and Berrin, Kathleen (1997) The Spirit of Ancient Peru Thames and Hudson, New York, ISBN 0-500-01802-2. Martin, Dennis J. (1973). "Selected Aspects of Burrowing Owl Ecology and Behavior". The Condor. 75 (4): 446–456. doi: 10.2307/1366565. JSTOR 1366565. S2CID 55069283. Mayr, Gerald (2005). " "Old World phorusrhacids" (Aves, Phorusrhacidae): a new look at Strigogyps (" Aenigmavis") sapea (Peters 1987)". PaleoBios. 25 (1): 11–16.Hootum Pyanchar Naksha by Kaliprasanna Singha (1841–1870), first published in 1861, is a book of social commentaries influential in Bengali literature. The name literally means "Sketches by a Watching Owl". According to the Apache and Seminole tribes, hearing owls hooting is considered the subject of numerous " bogeyman" stories told to warn children to remain indoors at night or not to cry too much, otherwise the owl may carry them away. [67] [68] In some tribal legends, owls are associated with spirits of the dead, and the bony circles around an owl's eyes are said to comprise the fingernails of apparitional humans. Sometimes owls are said to carry messages from beyond the grave or deliver supernatural warnings to people who have broken tribal taboos. [69] Cholewiak, Danielle (2003). "Strigiformes". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology . Retrieved 31 December 2022. The smallest owl—weighing as little as 1 + 3⁄ 32oz) and measuring some 13.5cm ( 5 + 1⁄ 4in)—is the elf owl ( Micrathene whitneyi). [6] Around the same diminutive length, although slightly heavier, are the lesser known long-whiskered owlet ( Xenoglaux loweryi) and Tamaulipas pygmy owl ( Glaucidium sanchezi). [6] The largest owls are two similarly sized eagle owls; the Eurasian eagle-owl ( Bubo bubo) and Blakiston's fish owl ( Bubo blakistoni). The largest females of these species are 71cm (28in) long, have a 190cm (75in) wing span, and weigh 4.2kg ( 9 + 1⁄ 4lb). [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] The supposed fossil herons "Ardea" perplexa (Middle Miocene of Sansan, France) and "Ardea" lignitum (Late Pliocene of Germany) were more probably owls; the latter was apparently close to the modern genus Bubo. Judging from this, the Late Miocene remains from France described as "Ardea" aureliensis should also be restudied. [42] The Messelasturidae, some of which were initially believed to be basal Strigiformes, are now generally accepted to be diurnal birds of prey showing some convergent evolution toward owls. The taxa often united under Strigogyps [43] were formerly placed in part with the owls, specifically the Sophiornithidae; they appear to be Ameghinornithidae instead. [44] [45] [46] The ancient fossil owl Palaeoglaux artophoron

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For fossil species and paleosubspecies of extant taxa, see the genus and species articles. For a full list of extant and recently extinct owls, see the article List of owl species. Behavior Comparison of an owl (left) and hawk (right) remex. The serrations on the leading edge of an owl's flight feathers reduce noise Owl eyes each have nictitating membranes that can move independently of each other, as seen on this spotted eagle-owl in Johannesburg, South Africa. a b c Martin G.R. (1982). "An owl's eye: schematic optics and visual performance in Strix aluco L". J Comp Physiol. 145 (3): 341–349. doi: 10.1007/BF00619338. S2CID 35039625. The beak of the owl is short, curved, and downward-facing, and typically hooked at the tip for gripping and tearing its prey. Once prey is captured, the scissor motion of the top and lower bill is used to tear the tissue and kill. The sharp lower edge of the upper bill works in coordination with the sharp upper edge of the lower bill to deliver this motion. The downward-facing beak allows the owl's field of vision to be clear, as well as directing sound into the ears without deflecting sound waves away from the face. [33] Camouflage The snowy owl has effective snow camouflage Mourer-Chauviré, Cécile (September 1994). "A large owl from the Paleocene of France". Palaeontology. 37 (2): 339–348 . Retrieved 27 March 2021.Palaeobyas (Late Eocene/Early Oligocene of Quercy, France) Tytonidae? Sophiornithidae? [ citation needed] Sexual dimorphism is a physical difference between males and females of a species. Female owls are typically larger than the males. [12] The degree of size dimorphism varies across multiple populations and species, and is measured through various traits, such as wing span and body mass. [12]

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Owls are divided into two families: the true (or typical) owl family, Strigidae, and the barn-owl family, Tytonidae. [2] People often allude to the reputation of owls as bearers of supernatural danger when they tell misbehaving children, "the owls will get you", [66] and in most Native American folklore, owls are a symbol of death. Galeotti, Paolo; Diego Rubolini (November 2007). "Head ornaments in owls: what are their functions?". Journal of Avian Biology. 38 (6): 731–736. doi: 10.1111/j.0908-8857.2007.04143.x. Webster, Douglas B.; Fay, Richard R. (6 December 2012). "Hearing in Birds". The Evolutionary Biology of Hearing. Springer Science & Business Media. p.547. ISBN 978-1-4612-2784-7.Juvonen, Arto; Muukkonen, Tomi; Peltomäki, Jari; Varesvuo, Markku (2009). Linnut vauhdissa (in Finnish). Tammi. pp.178, 187. ISBN 978-951-31-4604-7. Lenders, E. W. (1914). "The Myth of the 'Wah-ru-hap-ah-rah,' or the Sacred Warclub Bundle". Zeitschrift für Ethnologie. 46: 404–420 (409). Wildlife Trade News – Huge haul of dead owls and live lizards in Peninsular Malaysia". TRAFFIC. 12 November 2008. Harrison, Colin; Greensmith, Alan (1995). Koko maailman linnut (in Finnish). Translated by Laine, Lasse J.; Nikander, Pekka. Helsinki Media. p.198. ISBN 951-875-637-6.