# Top 19 Owl Species in the World

> Round-faced hunters, tiny cavity nesters and tufted giants, all wide awake when the rest of us are not. Pick the face you would most like to meet at dusk.

*By YPB Team · Published October 21, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/top-19-owl-species-in-the-world*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Long-eared Owl** — score 1000/1000
   Slender owl with long ear tufts.
2. **Great Horned Owl** — score 886/1000
   Powerful North American hunter with feather tufts.
3. **Burrowing Owl** — score 624/1000
   Long-legged owl that nests underground.
4. **Spectacled Owl** — score 624/1000
   Tropical owl with striking white 'spectacles'.
5. **Short-eared Owl** — score 560/1000
   Daytime-hunting owl of open grassland.
6. **Spotted Owl** — score 560/1000
   Old-growth forest owl at the center of conservation battles.
7. **Little Owl** — score 485/1000
   Small, stern-looking owl of Athena.
8. **Barn Owl** — score 485/1000
   Heart-faced, ghostly pale owl found on every continent but Antarctica.
9. **Great Grey Owl** — score 397/1000
   Largest owl by length, with a huge facial disc.
10. **Blakiston's Fish Owl** — score 397/1000
   Giant fish-catching owl of eastern Russia and Japan.
11. **Barred Owl** — score 397/1000
   North American owl with the who-cooks-for-you call.
12. **Northern Saw-whet Owl** — score 291/1000
   Tiny, tame-looking owl of northern forests.
13. **Boreal Owl** — score 291/1000
   Small northern owl with a wide-eyed stare.
14. **Ural Owl** — score 291/1000
   Large, long-tailed owl of Eurasian forests.
15. **Elf Owl** — score 291/1000
   The world's smallest owl, no bigger than a sparrow.
16. **Eastern Screech Owl** — score 291/1000
   Small tufted owl in red and grey morphs.
17. **Eurasian Eagle-Owl** — score 0/1000
   One of the biggest and most powerful owls.
18. **Tawny Owl** — score 0/1000
   The classic hooting owl of European woodland.
19. **Powerful Owl** — score 0/1000
   Australia's largest owl.

Tags: nature, animals, birds, species, owls