Owls: The Majestic Hunters

Snowy Owl

Intriguing owls

Owls have intrigued me ever since I became fascinated with birds. Mysterious birds of prey with interesting behaviors and large eyes, they appear to have great intelligence. Owls hunt when people can’t see them—under the cover of darkness, creating even more intrigue. Like the wolf and mountain lion, owls are top predators and command our respect. While I continue to enjoy birds of every shape, color, and size, I invariably search out the owls to study and photograph. Here is their extraordinary story.

Stan Tekiela

Short-eared Owl

Western Screech-Owl

Elf Owl

The owl family

Owls are widespread around the world, with the exception of a few places such as Antarctica and some small isolated islands. While many people mistakenly believe that owls are Northern birds found only in cold and snowy latitudes, over half of the world’s owls actually occur farther South, in tropical and neotropical regions. Of all the nearly 11,000-plus species of birds in the world, less than 3% are owls, but that’s still roughly 250 wonderful owl species for us to appreciate and admire.

All owls are members of a group, or scientific order, called Strigiformes. Strigiformes is separated into two distinguished families—Strigidae and Tytonidae. Strigidae includes typical owls such as the Barred Owl. The family Tytonidae, consisting of barn owls and other types, includes the aptly named Barn Owl.

Species diversity

There are 19 owl species in the United States and Canada. An extremely diverse group, these owls range in size from the tiny Elf Owl to the hefty Snowy Owl. About the size of a sparrow and sporting a 13-inch wingspan, the Elf Owl is the world’s smallest owl, weighing just under a dainty 1½ ounces. The Great Gray Owl is our tallest owl, standing 27 inches tall and weighing 2½ pounds. The Snowy Owl is the heaviest owl in North America and the second tallest. It has an impressive wingspan of 4½–5 feet, weighs over 4 pounds, and stands 23 inches tall.

The remainder of our beloved owls fall within these extremes. The Eastern Screech-Owl often lives in our backyards, making its home in natural cavities or man-made wooden nest boxes. The dark-eyed Barred Owl entertains us in the evening with its raucous calls. While the Barn Owl takes up residency in our barns and other outbuildings, the Great Horned Owl—the most common of all North American owls—can be found in nearly any habitat, from deserts and forests to the seaside and mountains.

Long-eared Owl

Owls from coast to coast

Every state in the country has at least two to three owl species. Distribution is uneven from East to West, and the number of species increases going West.

Northeastern states, including New England, have six to seven species, with the Barred Owl and Great Horned Owl being fairly common.

Excluding Florida, Southeastern states are home to four to five species, among them the Eastern Screech-Owl and Barn Owl. Florida and Midwestern states as far west as Nebraska and the Dakotas host six to seven species. The upper Midwest also has six to seven species, with the famed Great Gray Owl and Snowy Owl making their appearances during the winter months. In the far Northwest, Alaska has at least seven species that include the Northern Hawk Owl and Short-eared Owl.

The species number jumps to eight or nine in Western states such as Idaho, Colorado, and New Mexico. Southeastern Arizona, home to the Elf Owl and the extremely uncommon Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, has 10 species, as do eastern Oregon and Washington—all of which are resident states of the Northern Saw-whet Owl and Burrowing Owl.

Western Oregon, Washington, and much of California have the highest diversity of owls, with a total of 11 species, including the Long-eared Owl and Western Screech-Owl. Most of the species living in these states are also found in the Eastern United States.

Snowy Owl