North American Owls

The Owls of North America

North America hosts many diverse landscapes-- icy tundra, thick coniferous forests, vast grasslands, rocky mountain peaks, deserts, lush rainforests, and much more. Such a vast array of landscapes allows for the survival many diverse owl species.

This simplified but yet comprehensive guide of North American owls contains 39 species that are divided up into 13 genuses. So, you tell us... what do you want to know?

Owl Genuses Comparison

North America hosts 13 Genuses, which constitutes of 39 species in total. The five largest Genuses are Megascops, Strix, Glaucidium, Aegolius, and Asio. The other Genuses contain only one or two species that live in North America. The bar graphs to the right show what percentage of all of the North American owls each genus contains.

Learn about the Genuses

Megascops

Strix

Glaudicium

Aegolius

Asio

The other 8 Genuses combined

North American owl Facts of the Week

Owls can turn their heads 270 degrees!

They can turn their heads 135 degrees in both directions, which totals to the 270 degrees. This is made possible by special neck adaptations only owls have.

Owls have insanely keen hearing

Owls have faces that are structured like satellite discs, which funnel the soundwaves into the ear holes in their head. These holes are covered by feathers, and no, the ear tufts don't aid in this process at all.

Owls used to be a sign of victory in battle

In ancient Greece, the little owl was the companion to Athena, the goddess of war. Whenever a Greek army saw an owl fly during battle, they took it as a sign of incoming victory