John Shaw / Western screech owl (Megascops kennicottii) is camouflaged as it looks from a tree cavity. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico, USA, January.

Ingo Arndt / Long eared owl in tree {Asio otus} Hessen Germany

Ralf Kistowski/ BIA / Long-eared Owl (Asio otus), North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Alan Murphy / Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio), Texas

Alan Murphy / Western Screech Owl (Megascops kennicottii), New Mexico

Bence Mate / Long eared owl (Asio otus) chicks perched on a cross, with the moon, in the background, Puszatszer, Hungary, June.

Patrick Donini / Long-eared Owl (Asio otus), Solothurn, Switzerland

Sven Zacek / Female Long-eared owl (Asio otus) peeking from behind a spruce tree, Southern Estonia, June.

Milan Radisics / Long-eared Owls (Asio otus) roosting in tree, Szeged city, Southern Hungary, February 2009

Bence Mate / Two Long eared owl chicks (Asio otus) perching on tree branch in daylight, Pusztaszer, Kiskunsagi National Park, Hungary

Andy Rouse / Long Eared Owl (Asio otus) UK, controlled conditions, April, Captive

Andy Rouse / Long Eared Owl (Asio otus) perched in low sunlight. Controlled conditions. UK, Europe, May.

Inaki Relanzon / Madagascar scops owl (Otus rutilus) perched, looking backwards, Berenty Private Reserve, South Madagascar.

Paul Hobson / Long-eared owl (Asio otus) on tree stump, sillhouette in moonlight, captive, Yorkshire, UK

Paul Hobson / Long-eared owl (Asio otus) in Rowan tree with red berries, captive, Yorkshire, UK

Paul Hobson / Long-eared owl (Asio otus) on pine tree stump, North Yorkshire, captive, UK

Dave Bevan / Long eared owl (Asio otus) perched on fence post, head cocked on one side, Wales, UK, captive

Dave Bevan / Long eared owl (Asio otus) perched on post, shaking wings in rain, Wales, UK, captive

Dave Bevan / Long eared owl (Asio otus) peering round trunk of larch tree, Wales, UK, captive

Tim Fitzharris / Western Screech Owl (Megascops kennicottii) perching in a tree with snow on its head, British Columbia, Canada

David Kjaer / Long eared owl {Asio otus} UK

Dietmar Nill / Long eared owl (Asio otus) in flight with snow. Germany, Europe

Dietmar Nill / Long eared owl chick (Asio otus) showing aggression. Germany, Europe

Yashpal Rathore / Collared Scoops owl (Otus lettia) perched well camouflaged, Ranthambore National Park, India

Robin Chittenden / Cyprus scops owl (Otus cyprius) perched on branch at night. Cyprus. April.

Oscar Dewhurst / Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) hunting over grassland. Durham, UK. May

Oscar Dewhurst / Long-eared owl (Asio otus) in flight over farmland. Durham, UK. May

Oscar Dewhurst / Long-eared owl (Asio otus) in flight over farmland. Durham, UK. May

Oscar Dewhurst / Long-eared owl (Asio otus) in flight over farmland. Durham, UK. May. Cropped

Marie Read / Eastern screech-owl (Megascops asio) grey morph, roosting in tree cavity in winter, Lansing, New York, USA, January.

Roger Powell / Northern Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) on a branch of a Scots Pine. Bayerische Wald, Bavaria, Germany. April.

David Allemand / Long-eared owl (Asio otus) on tree, Ecrins National Park, Alps, France, November.

David Allemand / Eurasian scops owls (Otus scops) migrant owl, Alps, South of France, May.

David Allemand / Eurasian scops owls (Otus scops) migrant owl, Alps, South of France, May.

David Allemand / Eurasian scops owl (Otus scops) migrant owl, Alps, South of France, May.

David Allemand / Eurasian scops owls (Otus scops) migrant owl, alps, South of France, May.

Joao Burini / Tropical screech owl (Megascops choliba), Intervales State Park, Sao Paulo, Atlantic Forest South-East Reserves, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Brazil.

Alain Ghignone/ BIA / Common Scops-Owl (Otus scops), Aosta Valley, Italy

Daniel Heuclin / Northern white-faced owl (Ptilopsis leucotis) juveniles, Togo.

Daniel Heuclin / Northern white-faced owl (Ptilopsis leucotis) juvenile, Togo.

Markus Varesvuo / Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) Helsinki, Finland, December.

Andy Rouse / Collared scops owl (Otus lettia) in nest hole, Ranthambhore, India.

Andy Rouse / Collared scops owl (Otus lettia) in nest tree, Ranthambhore, India.

Konrad Wothe / Long-eared owl (Asio otus) swallowing mouse, Bavarian forest National Park, Germany, May. Captive.

Konrad Wothe / Long-eared owl (Asio otus) swallowing mouse, Bavarian forest National Park, Germany, May. Captive.

Konrad Wothe / Long-eared owl (Asio otus) Bavarian forest National Park, Bavaria, Germany, May. Captive.

Konrad Wothe / Long-eared owl (Asio otus) Bavarian forest National Park, Germany, Europe Captive.

Konrad Wothe / Long-eared owl (Asio otus) Bavarian forest National Park, Bavaria, Germany, May. Captive.

Konrad Wothe / Long-eared owl (Asio otus) Bavarian forest National Park, Germany, May. Captive.

Konrad Wothe / Long-eared owl (Asio otus) Bavarian forest National Park, Bavaria, Germany, May. Captive.

Connor Stefanison / Long-eared owl (Asio otus) perched on branch, Delta, British Columbia, Canada. February.

Lucas Bustamante / Peruvian screech-owl (Megascops roboratus) half face close up portrait, Macara, Loja, Ecuador.

Holger Duty/ BIA / Long-eared Owl (Asio otus), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany

Sebastian Vogel/ BIA / Long-eared Owl (Asio otus), Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Guy Edwardes / Long eared ow (Asio otus) portrait, UK. Captive.

Guy Edwardes / Long eared owl (Asio otus) UK. Captive.

Andy Rouse / Long eared owl (Asio otus) in winter snow, UK. Controlled conditions

Graham Eaton / Long-eared owl (Asio otus) in a large tree, Cheshire, UK, March.

Ann & Steve Toon / Long-eared owl (Asio otus) peering round tree trunk, captive, UK.

Ann & Steve Toon / Long-eared owl (Asio otus) peering round tree trunk, UK. Captive.

Edwin Giesbers / Long-eared owl (Asio otus) perched in a tree, Netherlands, December.

Philippe Clement / Long-eared owl (Asio otus / Strix otus) perched in tree in forest and heard prey below, Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany, May. Captive.

Paul Hobson / Long-eared owl (Asio otus) portrait, captive, England, UK, November.

Ingo Arndt / Long eared owl roosting in tree {Asio otus} Germany

Ingo Arndt / Long eared owl in tree {Asio otus} Germany

David Pattyn / Madagascar scops owl (Otus rutilus) perching at night, Anjajavy Private Reserve, north west Madagascar.

Jen Guyton / African scops owl (Otus senegalensis) perched on tree in the morning light in the Kalahari Desert, South Africa. Crop.

Luke Massey / Scops owl (Otus sp.) for sale in an animal market, Denpasar, Bali.

Luke Massey / Scops owls (Otus sp.) bleached to look albino for sale, Jakarta, Indonesia

Jack Dykinga / Western screech owl (Megascops kennicottii) well camouflaged in dead wood, Bosque del Apache, New Mexico, USA, January.

Murray Cooper / West Peruvian Screech-Owl (Otus roboratus) at night, Ecuador

Murray Cooper / Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl (Otus watsonii), Ecuador

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Arabian scops owl (Otus pamelae) on log, Oman, November

Avijan Saha/ BIA / Collared Scops Owl (Otus lettia), Darjeeling, India

Andres M. Dominguez / Scops owl (Otus scops) roosting in the day, Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, Southern Spain, June.

Andres M. Dominguez / Scops owl (Otus scops) in tree stump, Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, southern Spain, June.

Andres M. Dominguez / Scops owl (Otus scops) roosting in the day, Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, southern Spain, May.

Solvin Zankl / Long eared owl (Asio otus) in flight, taking off from oak tree snag. Niedersechsische Elbtalaue Biosphere Reserve, Elbe Valley, Lower Saxony, Germany

Solvin Zankl / Long eared owl (Asio otus) perched on oak tree snag at night. Niedersechsische Elbtalaue Biosphere Reserve, Elbe Valley, Lower Saxony, Germany

Solvin Zankl / Long eared owl (Asio otus) at night, perched on oak tree snag. Niedersechsische Elbtalaue Biosphere Reserve, Elbe Valley, Lower Saxony, Germany, August.

Ben Hall / Long-eared owl (Asio otus) perched in tree amongst autumn leaves, Czech Republic, October, Captive

Ben Hall / Long-eared owl (Asio otus) perched in tree amongst autumn leaves, Czech Republic, October. Captive

Ben Hall / Long-eared owl (Asio otus) roosting in tree, Hortobagy, Hugary, December.

Gerrit Vyn / Whiskered screech-owl (Megascops trichopsis) at night. Pima County, Arizona, USA. April.

Gerrit Vyn / Whiskered screech-Owl (Megascops trichopsis) at night. Pima County, Arizona, USA. April.

Gerrit Vyn / Whiskered Screech-Owl (Megascops trichopsis) at night. Pima County, Arizona, USA. April.

Philippe Clement / Long-eared owl (Asio otus) perched in tree in forest, Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany, May. Captive.

Neil Aldridge / African scops owl (Otus senegalensis) roosting in shady tree, Kruger National Park, South Africa.

Neil Aldridge / White-faced scops owl (Ptilopsis granti) perched in mopane woodland at night, Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve, Limpopo Province, South Africa.

Cyril Ruoso / Madagascar scops owl (Otus rutilus) Berenty reserve, Madagascar.

Cyril Ruoso / Collared scops owl (Otus lettia) in dead tree, Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan, India.

Alan Murphy / Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) camouflaged in tree cavity, Texas

Alan Murphy / Long-eared Owl (Asio otus), New Mexico

Alan Murphy / Western Screech Owl (Megascops kennicottii), Arizona

David Kjaer / Long-eared owl (Asio Otus) flying. Captive, native to the Northern Hemisphere.

David Kjaer / Long-eared owl (Asio Otus) perched. Captive, native to the Northern Hemisphere.