13 Owl Pictures That Are Truly Magnificent

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.

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Two owlets on a branch.
moodboard/Corbis
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The Eurasian eagle-owl's scientific name is Bubo bubo.
Michael Zuche/Corbis
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Male North American saw-whet owl can make rhythmic tooting songs for hours on end during mating season.
John Conrad/CORBIS
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The short-eared owl's scientific name is Asso flammeus, meaning "fiery."
Claire Hogg/Getty Images
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Great horned owls can't turn their heads completely around, but they can rotate their necks about 270 degrees.
John Pitcher/Design Pics/Corbis
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This little owl (Athene noctua) hunts) was photographed in Hungary with a fresh catch of mammalian prey.
Bence Mate/Visuals Unlimited/Corbis
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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
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Owls belong to the order Strigiformes, and there are around 220 separately identified species.
Irawan Subingar/Getty Images
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This great gray owl (Strix nebulosa) was photographed in Kuusamo, Finland.
George McCarthy/Corbis
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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
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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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