North American Owls Checklist

A Reference for North American Owls

Convenient Owl Checklists

The checklists below include all owls that are possible in North America. In this context North America is defined as continental USA and Canada. They are sorted by Common Name, Scientific Name, Taxonomic Order, and Size. This is intended to help the reader find an owl by what they know, read, or see. Special color codes have also been added to owls that are generally only in North America during breeding (spring and summer) and to owls that are unusual vagrants (winter and summer). The common and scientific names are sorted alphabetically. The taxonomic list is sorted as they are classified in science. The size list sorts the owls by size (length) that may help the reader find an owl they see by its size. All owls are linked to their individual pages that have pictures, calls, video, range maps, and discussion about the species.

Scientific Name

Aegolius acadicus – Northern Saw-whet Owl
Aegolius funereus – Boreal Owl
Asio flammeus – Short-eared Owl
Asio otus – Long-eared Owl
Asio stygius – Stygian Owl
Athene cunicularia – Burrowing Owl
Bubo virginianus – Great Horned Owl
Bubo scandiacus – Snowy Owl
Glaucidium brasilianum – Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium californicum – Northern Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium gnoma – Mountain Pygmy-Owl
Megascops (Otus) asio – Eastern Screech-Owl
Megascops (Otus) kennicottii – Western Screech-Owl
Megascops (Otus) trichopsis – Whiskered Screech-Owl
Micrathene whitneyi – Elf Owl
Ninox scutulata (N japonica) – Brown Hawk Owl (Northern Boobook Owl)
Otus sunia – Oriental Scops-Owl
Psiloscops flammeolus – Flammulated Owl
Strix nebulosa – Great Gray Owl
Strix occidentalis – Spotted Owl
Strix varia – Barred Owl
Surnia ulula – Northern Hawk Owl
Tyto alba – Barn Owl

Size (largest to smallest)

Great Gray Owl – S. nebulosa (24-33 in.)
Snowy Owl – B. scandiacus (20-27 in.)
Great Horned Owl – B. virginianus (18-25 in.)
Barred Owl – S. varia (19-21 in.)
Spotted Owl – S. occidentalis (16.5-19 in.)
Stygian Owl – A. stygius (15-18.1 in.)
Northern Hawk Owl – S. ulula (14-17.5 in.)
Short-eared Owl – A. flammeus (15-17 in.)
Barn Owl – T. alba (14-16 in.)
Long-eared Owl – A. otus (13-16 in.)
Brown Hawk Owl (N. Boobook Owl) – N. scutulata (N. japonica) (10.6-13)
Burrowing Owl – A. cunicularia (9-11 in.)
Boreal Owl – A. funereus (8.5-12 in.)
Northern Saw-whet Owl – A. acadicus (7-8.5 in.)
Western Screech-Owl – M. kennicottii (8.25-9.5 in.)
Eastern Screech-Owl – M. asio (8-9 in.)
Oriental Scops-Owl – O. sunia (6.7-8.3)
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl – G. brasilianum (6.5-7in.)
Whiskered Screech-Owl – M. trichopsis (6.3-7.5 in.)
Northern Pygmy-Owl – G. californicum (6.3-7 in.)
Flammulated Owl – P. flammeolus (5.9-6.7 in.)
Mountain Pygmy-Owl – G. gnoma (5.9-6.5 in.)
Elf Owl – M. whitneyi (5.1-5.5 in.)