They are found in all regions of the Earth except the polar ice caps and some remote islands. Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish. Exceptions include the diurnal northern hawk-owl and the gregarious burrowing owl. Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes ( / ˈ s t r ɪ dʒ ə f ɔːr m iː z/), which includes over 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. Left Strigidae: Tawny owl ( Strix aluco), Eurasian eagle-owl ( Bubo bubo), Little owl ( Athene noctua), Northern saw-whet owl ( Aegolius acadicus) Right Tytonidae: Barn owl ( Tyto alba), Lesser sooty owl ( Tyto multipunctata), Tasmanian masked owl ( Tyto novaehollandiae castanops), Sri Lanka bay owl ( Phodilus assimilis).
