Order
Strigiformes (Owls)
Bubo virginianus. Photo: (c) Paul G. Johnson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes, which includes about 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers adapted for silent flight. Exceptions include the diurnal northern hawk-owl and the gregarious burrowing owl.