Owls are an order of birds of prey. Most are solitary, and nocturnal, with some exceptions (e.g. the Burrowing Owl). They are classified in the order Strigiformes, in which there are over 200 extant species. Owls mostly hunt small mammals, insects, and other birds, though a few species specialize in hunting fish. They are found in all regions of the Earth except Antarctica, most of Greenland, and some remote islands. Though owls are typically solitary, the literary collective noun for a group of owls is a parliament.
The living owls are divided into two families, the typical owls, Strigidae, and the barn-owls, Tytonidae.
是鸮形目(Strigiformes)成员的统称，为主要进行夜间活动的攫禽，近世界性分布猫头鹰的英文。希腊的明智女神雅典娜的爱鸟是一只小鸮(Athene noctua)。鸮(猫头鹰)被认为可预示事件而成为智慧的象征。 另一方面，它们在夜间活动且发出不祥之声，亦成为与神秘和超自然有关的象征。它们神秘的习性、安静的飞行和令人不安的叫声使其成为世界上许多地区迷信甚至恐惧的对象。 在中世纪，小鸮被作为基督来临前「黑暗」的象征；更进一步被用来象征在黑暗中徬徨的无信仰者。同样地还有仓鸮(Tyto alba)被看作是不祥预兆的鸟，后又成为耻辱的象征。鸮的科学研究进行困难，因为它们在夜晚安静地活动，导致在生态学、行为学和许多品种的分类学方面人们对它们仍然了解甚少。