'/> Amazing Animals: 12 Poker-face but Gorgeous Owls

Monday, November 12, 2012

12 Poker-face but Gorgeous Owls

A list of some mean-looking, but beautiful owls.

There are more than 200 known species of Strigiformes (Owls). They are solitary and nocturnal birds of prey. They are found in all continents except Antarctica hunting small mammals, birds and insects. They may look mean, but if you analyze closely each species body anatomy you will be surprised to find out that owls are indeed beautiful birds. Below is a compilation of popular owl species that are mean-looking but at the same time adorable.

Striped Owl (Asio clamator)

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This medium-sized owl is found in South America and Central America. It bears a large, complex and asymmetrical ear tufts as well as a brownish-white facial disk rimmed. Striped owl has a black beak and cinnamon-colored eyes. Its upperparts are yellowish-brown striped with grimy brown. Its body anatomy include: Length 30-38 cm, wingspan 22.8 – 29.4 cm and weight 320-546 g. It lives in savannas, open or semi-open grassland, small groves and bushes. Striped owl’s diet includes: large insects, small mammals, reptiles and birds.

Barn Owl (Tyto alba)

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The Barn Owl also referred to as Common Barn Owl is the most widespread species of owl. It is found on all continents except Antarctica and inhabits open lands, heaths, caves, buildings, wells and thick foliage. It is a pale, long-winged and long-legged owl that can reach up to 25-45 cm in length with a wingspan of about 75-100 cm. This owl has a whitish with a brownish edge facial disk and white with few black spot it too has a an off-white colored beak and yellowish to brownish feet. Its diet includes: small rodents, mice, shrews, and rats.

Philippine Eagle-Owl (Bubo philippensis)

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The Philippine Eagle Owl is the largest known Philippine owl. Known locally as “kuwago”, it can grow up to 40-50 cm in length, and a wingspan of about 35 cm. This owl is found inhabiting near lakes and lowland jungles of Luzon, Samar, Catanduanes, Leyte, Bohol and Mindanao. It has small ear tufts, brownish facial disk and yellow eyes. It too has a dark brown wings and tail with whitish underparts. Based on its big feet and claws. it feeds on small mammals and rodents that include mice and rats.

Great Grey Owl or Lapland Owl (Strix nebulosa)

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It is among the world’s largest owl found from Alaska the Northern Rocky Mountains, and across Canada living in forested habitats. Some species are also endemic in northern Europe and Asia. It has a large head and yellow eyes with fluffy plumage. This owl also has a long tail and wings with heavily-feathered feet. Its wingspan can reach to about 152 cm and can grow as much as 61-84 cm in length. It primarily feeds on rodents, rats, mice, squirrels, rabbits and at times hunt for birds.

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)

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A common owl found in America and also be found in South America and the Arctic living in woods, farmland and in suburbs. One main feature of this owl is its “horned” tuft feathers with big yellow-orange eyes. It has a pale gray upperparts with striped feather upper breast. The feet are well-feathered up to the toes. It can reach up to 18-25 cm long and carries a wingspan of about 1 -1.5 meters.

Common Scops Owl (Otus scops)

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It is a small species of owl with yellow eyes and ear tufts. It has a gray-buff feathers with patches of black. The common Scops owl is found throughout Southern Europe, Central Asia and in some parts of North Africa. Its habitat includes: parks, open woodlands and plantations. It can grow up to about 20 to 30 cm and feed mostly on insects, small lizards and frogs.

Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula)

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It is a medium sized owl that usually grows from 35-43 cm long with a wingspan of about 69-82 cm. it is endemic in the forests of North America and Eurasia. This yellow-eyed owl has a rounded head with dark brown upperparts and a striped tail and underparts. Its diet includes: small mammals such as lemmings and voles. At times it hunts for birds, frogs and fish.

Barred Owl (Strix varia)

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This large owl with pale face and beard, no ear tufts is also known as wood owl or hoot owl. It has dark rings in its facial disk with yellow beak and brown eyes. The upperparts bare patches of gray-brown and a light colored underparts. The legs and feet are covered in feathers up to the talons. It can measure up to 44 cm long and has a wingspan of about 112 cm. Barred owl lives in dense woods across Canada, United States and as far as Central America. It feeds mostly on mice, but at times hunt for rabbits, foxes and also birds like geese and doves.

Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus)

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This small owl species with no ear tufts is found throughout Canada and Alaska and as far as Eurasia. It has a white facial disk outlined with black, a yellow bill and eyes, back parts are brown with bold white spotting, a dirty white with dark brown blemish under parts and its legs and toes are completely feathered. Boreal owl can grow up to 21-28 cm. long, can weigh up to 93-215 grams and a wingspan of about 55-62 cm. This owl diet includes: small mammals, birds, and insects.

Northern Saw-Whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus)

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This owl species has a very small body and a short tail. Its large head lacks an ear tufts because of its an asymmetrical skull. It too nave a brownish facial disk mark with whitish radials around the edge, which becomes paler around the eye region. The Saw-whet owl eyes are large and bright yellow-orange and it possesses a black bill. It grows up to 18-21 cm in length, weighs around 65-151 g and can have a wingspan of 42-48 cm. It feeds mainly on mice, frogs, insects, moles, bats and small birds like; sparrows, swallows and kinglets.

Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus)

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Snowy owls are the largest owl species in North America. A large white owl with some scattered spots, black bill and yellow eyes. The snowy owl can grow up to 50-68 cm in length and can weigh up to 1.6 to 2 kg. It hunts and prey on small rodents, rabbits, hares, ducks and geese.

Ethiopian Eagle Owl (Bubo capensis)

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This large-eared owl has dark brown with buff spotting apparatus coupled with creamy-buff under-parts laced with heavy dark blotching. It also has beige facial disk and orange-yellow eyes. Found mostly in the mountainous areas and rocky gorges of Ethiopia and South Africa. This owl can grow up to 48-58 cm and can weigh up to 900-1800 g. Its diet includes: birds, frogs, reptiles and mammals the size of hare.

39 comments:

  1. Ethiopian Eagle Owl (Bubo capensis) - it doesn't look like an owl and the most odd looking of them all.

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  2. Wow, I have never seen so many faces of owls. THe last one is kinda like the Ermitanyo of them all.

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  3. Nacu-cutean ako dun sa Ethiopian Eagle Owl. Parang laging may bad hair days! :)

    Wala man lng happy looking sa kanila ano ;)

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  4. The barn owl looks like the owl of Harry Potter in the movie :) Hehehe.

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  5. I did not know that there are a lot of OWL variety, but at least one thing is sure they all have staring eyes.

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  6. aws, my favorite Ninox sp. isn't part of this.. nice compilation of beautiful owls. truly appreciate this .

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  7. ows my favorite Ninox sp. isn't part of this. beautiful compilation.

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  8. Natawa naman ako sa Philippine owl natin :-) mapupungay ang mata hahaha... I love the barn owl and common owl, ganda gawing pets :-) it's really good that you took the time sharing these types of owls and they're pretty. Thanks for stopping in my blog today. Good luck for the win.

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  9. Amazing, just amazing! Those creatures tell me of my very creative God! Just an owl but of so many different kinds and looks! Thanks for sharing these images, Sir! I saw some of them at a zoo that we frequent here.

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  10. sooooooooooo cute! nag enjoy ako sa kakatitig sa mga poker face nila. hehehe!

    ps.
    papaleng, ikaw na ang pinoy version ni rainfield. not sure if you know him but i have fun interacting in his blog. he's such a funny and witty man like you too.

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  11. i love owls, they have this very expressive look that seems to tell so much depth in them, glad to know these many owls since i am only familiar to a few :)

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  12. Ang gaganda, my favorite of them all is this
    Ethiopian Eagle Owl (Bubo capensis), kakaiba ,so cute, pwedeng pet.

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  13. I remember harry Potter movie on this owls and I also love owls :)

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  14. they're absolutely gorgeous...those poker faces are cute!

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  15. These are a nice variety of owl from the really beautiful to the odd-looking but interesting ones.

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  16. If I ever make a zoo of my own, ill definitely get a dozen or so of various Owl species. They look amazing.

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  17. got to admit. I just love this list of owls hahaha.

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  18. I was able to see a Kuwago when I was a kid, I hope there are still few left in the forest of mindanao.

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  19. Nakakatakot yung Ethiopian Eagle Owl! Akala ko aso. Haha.

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  20. Another informative article you got here Papaleng, Makiki-loyalista lang po, I so love our own OWL! very colorful:) and the weirdest looking among all is the Ethopian owl:)

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  21. I like this. Iba't ibang klase ng owl. ethiopian eagle owl ang cute nya :)

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  22. Look at those eye.hehehe...yong anak ko paborito nya yan lalo na yong snowy owl-kasi yan parati sa zoo dito.

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  23. my fave is the Philippine eagle it has a tantalizing eyes that encourage you to sleep with it..hahaha

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  24. They are ALL cute! But of course, my favorite is our very own 'kwago' :) Though I must say the Ethiopian Eagle Owl looks odd.
    Love how they look you in the eyes.

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  25. The cutest is the Common Scops Owl while the Ethiopian Eagle Owl looks like a dog more than an owl.

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  26. just amazing how owls differ from other birds... those big heads with 2 big round eyes... not to mention, a very good night predators. Yahweh bless.

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  27. This remind me of the Legend of The Guardians the Owl of Ga'Hoole. The common scoops is so cute.

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  28. haha harry potter, snail mail delivery lotsa owls

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  29. The owls eyes looks so creepy! Though some of them looks cute. But I don't think I'd love to see them moving around. Hehe

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  30. Wow thats a lot of their kinds.. thanks for sharing..by the way, are owls endangered?

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    Replies
    1. A few are classified as Endangered on the IUCN red list.

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  31. Natawa naman ako sa title. Poker-face talaga?! :)

    Owls are very trendy in fashions nowadays, I wonder why.

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  32. It reminds me of my favorite movie of 2010, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole. How many species of owl can be found in the Philippines?

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  33. I never had seen one owl my entire life for real. Didn't know they have a lot of different species. Very interesting and informative post yet again po, Papaleng. Well done!

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  34. I like how the second one, Barn Owl (Tyto Alba) posed... quite sophisticated look and it's so cute!

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  35. They are cute. The snowy owl looks like Harry's Hedwig. :)

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