A spotted eagle owl closes one eye in Botswana's Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Fotofeeling/Westend61/Corbis
There are many types of owls, all from the order Strigiformes, which is made up of over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey. We've compiled a stunning gallery of images, so enjoy the beauty and variety of these incredible birds.
Two owlets on a branch.
moodboard/Corbis
The Eurasian eagle-owl's scientific name is Bubo bubo.
Michael Zuche/Corbis
Male North American saw-whet owl can make rhythmic tooting songs for hours on end during mating season.
John Conrad/CORBIS
The short-eared owl's scientific name is Asso flammeus, meaning "fiery."
Claire Hogg/Getty Images
Great horned owls can't turn their heads completely around, but they can rotate their necks about 270 degrees.
John Pitcher/Design Pics/Corbis
This little owl (Athene noctua) hunts) was photographed in Hungary with a fresh catch of mammalian prey.
Bence Mate/Visuals Unlimited/Corbis
The tawny owl (Strix aluco) often claims favorite branches from which to hunt, returning to the same spot multiple times.
Paul Sawer/Frank Lane Picture Library/Corbis
Owls belong to the order Strigiformes, and there are around 220 separately identified species.
Irawan Subingar/Getty Images
This great gray owl (Strix nebulosa) was photographed in Kuusamo, Finland.
George McCarthy/Corbis
Less than 10 percent of owls belong to the barn owl family Tytonidae, with the rest, like this South African giant eagle owl photographed closing its eyes, categorized in the family Strigidae.
Peter Johnson/Corbis
Screech owlets, like the four pictured here, are found in North America and usually hatch around late March to early April.
Ron Austing/FLPA/Corbis
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Now That's Interesting
Don't call an owl's unconventional eyes its eyeballs: they can't rotate or swivel in the owl's head, and are actually tube-shaped.
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