Markus Varesvuo / Tengmalm's / Boreal owl (Aegolius funereus) perched on branch, Kuusamo, Finland, May

Andy Rouse / Tawny owl (Strix aluco) portrait, UK, taken in controlled conditions, February

Ann & Steve Toon / Tawny owl (Strix aluco) camouflaged on tree, UK captive

John Waters / Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) adult female perched in snowy tree stump, trained bird, Somerset, UK, January

Andy Rouse / Barn Owl (Tyto alba) perched among grass. UK, November.

Andy Rouse / Barn Owl (Tyto alba) portrait on post. UK, February.

Andy Rouse / 2020VISION / Little Owl (Athene noctua) portrait on post. Wales, UK, June.

David Kjaer / Long eared owl {Asio otus} UK

Niall Benvie / Male long eared owl (Asio otus) Scotland

Paul Johnson / Close up of ear opening of Short eared owl (Asio flammeus) captive, UK

Stephen Dalton / Barn owl (Tyto alba) flight sequence, multiflash image, UK

Stephen Dalton / Little owl (Athene noctua) flight sequence, multiflash image, UK

Angelo Gandolfi / Eagle owl (Bubo bubo) composite image showing its ability to twist its necks through 180 degrees

Markus Varesvuo / Great Grey owl (Strix nebulosa) flying in snow covered woodlands, Tornio, Finland, Scandinavia, March.

Kim Taylor / Barn owl {Tyto alba} female landing on fence post. Captive UK.

Chris Gomersall / Great grey owl (Strix nebulosa) close-up of eyes, bill and facial disc, captive bird

Stephen Dalton / Eagle owl {Bubo bubo} portrait, controlled conditions, from Europe

Markus Varesvuo / Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa) landing, Hyvink Finland, January 2007

Nick Garbutt / Buffy fish owl perched {Ketupa ketupa} Sabah, Borneo

Artur Tabor / Barn owl {Tyto alba} silhouette at sunset, Poland.

Markus Varesvuo / Hawk Owl flying (Surnia ulula) Finland

Larry Michael / Eastern screech owl {Megascops asio} rufous phase, captive, USA

Tony Heald / Brown fish owl {Ketupa zeylonensis} Bandhavgarh National Park, India~ 2007

Tony Heald / Brown fish owl {Ketupa zeylonensis} Bandhavgarh National Park, India~ 2007

Markus Varesvuo / Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium passerinum / genus), adult perched on top of a coniferous tree. Helsinki, Finland. January.

Rolf Nussbaumer / Ferruginous Pygmy Owl {Glaucidium brasilianum} adult taking lizard prey into nest hole, Rio Grande Valley, Texas, USA, May

Eric Baccega / Spotted eagle-owl (Bubo africanus) captive, France

Shattil & Rozinski / Great horned owl {Bubo virginianus} researcher attaching band to leg, Colorado, USA

Paul Hobson / Long-eared owl {Asio otus} juvenile perched on pine stump, head tilted looking curious, UK. Captive

Andy Rouse / Snowy owl (Bubo scandiaca) taking off from post, Canada

Andy Rouse / Two Short eared owls (Asio flammeus) fighting in flight over feeding grounds in flight, UK

David Tipling / Blakiston's Fish Owl {Bubo blakistoni} in snow, Washino-yado Inn, near Rausu, Hokkaido, Japan, January 2008, Endangered species

Stephen Dalton / Close-up of Tawny owl (Strix aluco) wing feathers, UK

Stephen Dalton / Barn owl {Tyto alba} flying to tower carrying rodent prey, UK

Stephen Dalton / Barn owl (Tyto alba) flying to nest in bell tower, Sussex, UK

Stephen Dalton / Barn owl (Tyto alba) in flight over fencing at night, UK.

Andy Rouse / Three Little Owl (Athene noctua) chicks outside stone wall nest. Wales, UK, June.

Lassi Rautiainen / Replacing Tengmalm's owl (Aegolius funereus) chick in tree after ringing, Finland, June

Stefan Huwiler / Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus). Austria.

Andy Rouse / Barn owl (Tyto alba) swooping on to mouse prey, UK March

Tui De Roy / Black and white owl (Strix nigrolineata) eyes red from camera flash, San Isidro, Eastern Slope Tropical Andes, Andean Cloud Forest, East slope, Ecuador

Tui De Roy / Cinnamon screech owl (Megascops petersoni) Bellavista cloud forest private reserve, 1700m altitude, Tandayapa Valley, Andean cloud forest, West slope, Tropical Andes, Ecuador

Andy Rouse / Barn Owl (Tyto alba) perched on broken window frame of abandoned building. UK, September.

Markus Varesvuo / Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula) perched on snowy tree in front of the moon. Kuusamo, Finland, February.

Markus Varesvuo / Great Grey owl (Strix nebulosa) portrait sitting in snow, Tornio, Finland, Scandinavia, March.

Stephen Dalton / Eagle owl {Bubo bubo} close up of eye, controlled conditions, from Europe

Stephen Dalton / Barn owl (Tyto alba) in flight, flying down to catch rat prey, UK, manipulated image (controlled conditions rat protected by sheet of perspex)

Floris van Breugel / Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) standing at entrance to burrow, and watching a Red-tailed Hawk circling above. Salton Sea, California, USA.

Pete Cairns / Long eared owl in tree {Asio otus} captive, Scotland

Markus Varesvuo / Ural Owl (Strix uralensis)Kuusamo Finland February 2012

Stephen Dalton / Barn owl (Tyto alba) close up of eye, UK, controlled conditions

Ross Hoddinott / Little owl (Athene noctua) peering out of hole in tree, Devon, UK captive

Klaus Echle / Little Owl (Athene noctua) young bird peering through boughs. Black Forest, Germany, June.

Mike Read / Barn owl chick 9-10 weeks-old {Tyto alba}

Mike Read / Barn owl chick 7-weeks-old {Tyto alba}

Mike Read / Barn owl chick 24-hrs-old {Tyto alba}

Artur Tabor / Newly hatched Tawny owl chick in nest with eggs. Poland

John Cancalosi / Great horned owl {Bubo virginianus} on nest with young in saguaro cactus, Arizona, USA

Colin Seddon / Portrait of Great horned owl {Bubo virginianus} showing one nictitating membrane, UK, captive

Tom Vezo / Great horned owl {Bubo virginianus} captive, on nest in saguaro cactus, Arizona, USA.

DAVID TIPLING / Two immature Spectacled Owls {Pulsatrix perspicillata / chapmani} perching in tree, Gamboa, Panama.

Markus Varesvuo / Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula) perched in autumn with bracket fungus on tree trunk, Finland

Markus Varesvuo / Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula) with head facing backwards, Finland

Shattil & Rozinski / Brood of juvenile Burrowing owls {Athene cunicularia} at burrow entrance, Colorado, USA

Markus Varesvuo / Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa) perched amongst birch trees, Hyvinkää, Finland, January 2007

Markus Varesvuo / Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) looking backwards perched in tree in snow, Helsinki, Finland, December 2006

Nature Production / Blakiston's fish owl {Bubo / Ketupa blakiston} catching Japanese dace {Tribolodon hakonensis} with claws underwater, Hokkaido, Japan

Nature Production / Blakiston's fish owl {Bubo / Ketupa blakiston} flying, Hokkaido, Japan

Markus Varesvuo / Snowy Owl (Nyctea / Bubo scandiaca) perched on wooden hut in snow, Seinäjoki, Finland, January

Shattil & Rozinski / Family of Burrowing owls {Athene cunicularia} at burrow, Colorado, USA

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Pharaoh / Savigny's eagle owl {Bubo ascalaphus} male in sand dune, Sweihan, UAE

Roger Powell / Hawk Owl {Surnia ulula} female in flight, Lapland, Finland

Andy Rouse / Snowy owl (Bubo scandiaca) perched on post, calling / yawning, Canada

Wild Wonders of Europe / Zacek / Female Great grey owl (Strix nebulosa) landing, Oulu, Finland, February 2009

Andy Rouse / Two Short eared owls (Asio flammeus) fighting over feeding grounds in flight, UK

Claudio Contreras / Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) on nest in cactus, El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve, Baja California Peninsula, Mexico, March

David Tipling / Blakiston's Fish Owl {Bubo blakistoni} beside water, Washino-yado Inn, near Rausu, Hokkaido, Japan, January 2008, Endangered species

Wild Wonders of Europe / Widstrand / Eagle owl (Bubo bubo) close-up of head, a bird raised in captivity, newly released into the wild, Stockholm archipelago, Uppland, Sweden, September 2008

Stephen Dalton / Little owl (Athene noctua) flying with worm prey to nest hole in tree, UK

Stephen Dalton / Barn owl {Tyto alba} in flight, UK

Stephen Dalton / Tawny owl {Strix aluco} flying with rodent prey to nest hole in tree, chicks waiting for food, UK

Markus Varesvuo / Great Grey owl (Strix nebulosa) flying through snow covered Birch woodlands, Raahe, Finland, Scandinavia, March.

Jenny E. Ross / Adult California spotted owl (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) perched in an ancient incense cedar tree within an old-growth section of the Tahoe National Forest, California, USA.

Peter Cairns / Portrait of a European Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo). Captive. Scotland, UK, February.

Andy Rouse / Little Owl (Athene noctua) parent feeding a worm to its chick. Wales, UK, June. (non-ex).

Andy Rouse / Little Owl (Athene noctua) parent feeding chick. Wales, UK, June.

Andy Rouse / Little Owl (Athene noctua) chick begging food from its parent. Wales, UK, June. (non-ex).

Andy Rouse / Little Owl (Athene noctua) adult pulling a worm from the ground. Wales, UK, June. (non-ex).

Markus Varesvuo / Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiaca) with its beak open. Canada, February.

Ben Hall / 2020VISION / Short-eared owl (Asio flammeus) in flight, backlit, hunting at dusk, Lincolnshire, UK, March 2011

Ole Jorgen Liodden / Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula) on hunting flight low over snow. Norway, February.

Eric Baccega / Snowy owl (Bubo scandiaca) on ground, Quebec, Canada, February

Markus Varesvuo / Hawk owl (Surnia ulula) perched on branch calling, Kuusamo, Finland, May

Markus Varesvuo / Tengmalm's / Boreal owl (Aegolius funereus) looking out of hole in tree, Kuusamo, Finland, June

Andy Rouse / Barn owl (Tyto alba)perched on old window, ~UK