List of Strigiformes by population

This is a list of Strigiformes species by global population. While numbers are estimates, they have been made by the experts in their fields. For more information on how these estimates were ascertained, see Wikipedia's articles on population biology and population ecology.

Not all Gruiformes have had their populations quantified, but species without population estimates are included in a secondary table below.

The IOC World Bird List (version 15.1) recognizes 254 species of Strigiformes, five of which are extinct. This list follows IUCN classifications for species names and taxonomy. Where IUCN classifications differ from other ornithological authorities, alternative names and taxonomies are noted.

Some members of Strigiformes are extinct: Bermuda saw-whet owl (Aegolius gradyi), described from fossil records and explorer accounts of the bird in the 17th century. Laughing owl (Ninox albifacies), last seen in 1914, may have been extant through 1920s. Mauritius scops owl or Mauritius owl (Otus sauzieri), last seen in 1837; extinct by 1859. IUCN/BirdLife International place species in genus Mascarenotus. Réunion scops owl or Réunion owl (Otus grucheti), went extinct in the 17th century after the colonization of the island of Réunion. IUCN/BirdLife International place species in genus Mascarenotus. Rodrigues scops owl or Rodrigues owl (Otus murivorus), last recorded in 1726. IUCN/BirdLife International place species in genus Mascarenotus.

Species by global population Common nameBinomial namePopulationStatusTrendNotesImagePernambuco pygmy owlGlaucidium mooreorum0-49 May be extinct. Last seen in 2001.Siau scops owlOtus siaoensis1-49 Seychelles scops owlOtus insularis200-280 Christmas Island boobook (Christmas boobook)Ninox natalis240-1,200 Best estimate for number of mature individuals is 340.Forest owletAthene blewitti250-999 Romblon boobookNinox spilonotus250-999 Cebu boobook Ninox rumseyi 250-999 São Tomé scops owlOtus hartlaubi250-999 Total population is estimated to be 350-1,500 individuals.Long-whiskered owletXenoglaux loweryi250-999 Total population is estimated to be 350-1,500 individuals. Camiguin boobook Ninox leventisi 250-1,400 Best estimate for number of mature individuals is 250-999. Moheli scops owlOtus moheliensis260 Serendib scops owlOtus thilohoffmanni400-1,000 Rote boobookNinox rotiensis500-5,000 Principe scops owlOtus bikegila853-2,533 Best estimate for number of mature individuals is 1,149-1,597.Blakiston's eagle-owl (Blakiston's fish owl)Ketupa blakistoni900-1,700 Best estimate for number of mature individuals is 900-1,150. IUCN/BirdLife International place this species in genus Bubo.Sokoke scops owlOtus ireneae1,000-2,000 Madagascar red owl (Red owl)Tyto soumagnei1,250-3,750 Shelley's eagle-owlBubo shelleyi1,500-7,000 Total population is estimated to be 2,500-9,999 individuals.Cloud-forest pygmy owlGlaucidium nubicola1,900-22,500 Best estimate for number of mature individuals is 2,500-9,999.Socotra scops owlOtus socotranus2,000Total population is estimated to be 3,000 individuals.Togian boobookNinox burhani2,100-8,100 Powerful owlNinox strenua2,200-2,800 Total population is estimated to be 3,250-4,250 individuals.Grande Comore scops owl (Karthala scops owl)Otus pauliani2,300 Anjouan scops owlOtus capnodes2,300-3,600 Santa Marta screech owlMegascops gilesi2,300-7,500Newly described species, as of 2017. Population has not been directly quantified, but is extrapolated using the population density of the congeneric tawny-bellied screech owl. Pemba scops owlOtus pembaensis2,500-3,000 Sulu boobookNinox reyi2,500-7,500Malaita owlAthene malaitae2,500-9,999 Makira owl Athene roseoaxillaris2,500-9,999 Flores scops owlOtus alfredi 2,500-9,999 Rufous fishing owlScotopelia ussheri2,500-9,999 Golden masked owlTyto aurantia2,500-9,999 Albertine owletGlaucidium albertinum2,500-9,999 Total population is estimated to be 3,500-15,000 individuals.Fearful owlNesasio solomonensis2,500-9,999 Nicobar scops owl Otus alius 2,500-9,999 Javan scops owlOtus angelinae2,500-9,999 Rinjani scops owlOtus jolandae2,500-9,999 Visayan scops owl (Negros scops owl)Otus nigrorum 2,500-9,999 Andaman boobookNinox affinis 2,500-9,999 Enggano scops owlOtus enganensis2,500-9,999 Mindoro boobook Ninox mindorensis 2,500-25,000 Best estimate for number of mature individuals in 2,500-9,999.Lesser sooty owlTyto multipunctata4,000 Estimated to be around 2,000 breeding pairs. Arabian eagle-owl Bubo milesi 4,000-9,999 Sumba boobookNinox rudolfi5,000-24,000 Best estimate for number of mature individuals is 5,000-15,000.Least boobookNinox sumbaensis10,000-19,999 Total population is estimated to be 15,000-30,000 individuals.New Britain boobookNinox odiosa10,000-19,999 Guadalcanal owlAthene granti10,000-19,999Palawan scops owlOtus fuliginosus10,000-19,999 Mentawai scops owlOtus mentawi10,000-19,999 Chestnut-backed owletGlaucidium castanonotum10,000-20,000 Cyprus scops owl Otus cyprius 10,000-24,000 ? Total population is estimated to be 15,000-36,000 individuals. Banggai scops owl Otus mendeni 10,000-40,000 Flammulated owlPsiloscops flammeolus 12,000 ? Tanimbar boobookNinox forbesi12,000-48,000 Snowy owlBubo scandiacus14,000-28,000 Spotted owlStrix occidentalis15,000 Biak scops owlOtus beccarii15,000-45,000 Best estimate for number of mature individuals is 15,000-20,000.Mindoro scops owlOtus mindorensis15,750-44,000 Tamaulipas pygmy owlGlaucidium sanchezi20,000-49,999 Colima pygmy owlGlaucidium palmarum20,000-49,999 Bearded screech owlMegascops barbarus20,000-49,999 Bare-shanked screech owl Megascops clarkii 20,000-49,999 Balsas screech owlMegascops seductus20,000-49,999 Unspotted saw-whet owlAegolius ridgwayi20,000-50,000 Costa Rican pygmy owl Glaucidium costaricanum 20,000-50,000 Fulvous owlStrix fulvescens20,000-50,000 Great grey owlStrix nebulosa50,000-99,999 Stygian owlAsio stygius50,000-499,999 Pacific screech owlMegascops cooperi50,000-499,999 Central American pygmy owlGlaucidium griseiceps50,000-500,000 Guatemalan screech owl (Middle American screech owl)Megascops guatemalae50,000-500,000 Note that IOC taxonomy splits two additional species from this one: Chocó screech owl (M. centralis) and foothill screech owl (M. roraimae). IUCN/BirdLife International maintain all three species within M. guatemalae. Arabian scops owl Otus pamelae 60,000 Elf owlMicrathene whitneyi 72,000 Western screech owlMegascops kennicottii73,000-230,000Northern hawk-owlSurnia ulula100,000-499,999 Northern pygmy-owl (Mountain pygmy-owl)Glaucidium gnoma 180,000 Note that IOC taxonomy splits three additional species from this one: the northern (G. californicum), Guatemalan (G. cobanense), and Baja (G. hoskinsii) pygmy-owls. IUCN/BirdLife International maintain all four species within G. gnoma.Eurasian eagle-owlBubo bubo180,000-300,000 Whiskered screech owlMegascops trichopsis200,000Eurasian pygmy owlGlaucidium passerinum471,000-894,000 Striped owlAsio clamator500,000-4,999,999 Tropical screech owlMegascops choliba500,000-4,999,999Mottled owlStrix virgata500,000-4,999,999 IUCN/BirdLife International place this species in genus Ciccaba. Eastern screech owl Megascops asio 560,000 Ural owlStrix uralensis640,000-1,052,000 Boreal owlAegolius funereus730,000-1,810,000 Eurasian scops owlOtus scops790,000-1,350,000 Burrowing owl Athene cunicularia 1,000,000-9,999,999 Short-eared owlAsio flammeus1,200,000-2,100,000 Tawny owlStrix aluco1,580,000-2,340,000 Note that IOC taxonomy splits an additional species, the Maghreb owl (S. mauritanica) from this one. IUCN/BirdLife International maintain both species within S. aluco.Common barn owl (Western barn owl)Tyto alba1,960,000-3,240,000 ?Note that IOC taxonomy splits three additional species from this one: American barn owl (T. furcata), Eastern barn owl (T. javanica), and Andaman masked owl (T. deroepstorffi). IUCN/BirdLife International maintain all four species within T. alba. Northern saw-whet owl Aegolius acadicus 2,000,000 Long-eared owlAsio otus2,200,000-3,700,000 Barred owl Strix varia 3,000,000-3,900,000 Note that IOC taxonomy splits an additional species, the cinereous owl (S. sartorii) from this one. IUCN/BirdLife International maintain both species within S. varia. Little owlAthene noctua5,000,000-9,999,999 Great horned owl Bubo virginianus 5,700,000 IUCN/BirdLife International do not report a population estimate. Value given comes from Partners in Flight database. Ferruginous pygmy owlGlaucidium brasilianum 20,000,000

Species without population estimates Common nameBinomial namePopulationStatusTrendNotesImageItombwe owlTyto prigoginei? ?Known from two records, in 1951 and 1996.Philippine eagle-owlKetupa philippensis? IUCN/BirdLife International place species in genus Bubo.White-fronted scops owlOtus sagittatus? Barred eagle-owl Ketupa sumatrana ? IUCN/BirdLife International place species in genus Bubo. Ochre-bellied boobookNinox ochracea? Chocolate boobook Ninox randi ? Mindanao boobook Ninox spilocephala ? Ryūkyū scops owlOtus elegans?Giant scops owlOtus gurneyi? Reddish scops owlOtus rufescens?Sula scops owlOtus sulaensis? Chaco owl Strix chacoensis ? Taliabu masked owlTyto nigrobrunnea? Buff-fronted owl Aegolius harrisii ? Abyssinian owl Asio abyssinicus ? Marsh owlAsio capensis ? Madagascar owl Asio madagascariensis ? Spotted owletAthene brama?West Solomons owlAthene jacquinoti?White-browed owlAthene superciliaris?Spotted eagle-owlBubo africanus?Pharaoh eagle-owlBubo ascalaphus? Rock eagle-owl (Indian eagle-owl)Bubo bengalensis ? Cape eagle-owl Bubo capensis ? Greyish eagle-owl Bubo cinerascens ? Lesser horned owl Bubo magellanicus ? Yungas pygmy owlGlaucidium bolivianum? Collared owlet Glaucidium brodiei ? African barred owlet Glaucidium capense ? Javan owletGlacidium castanopterum ? Asian barred owlet Glaucidium cucoloides ? Amazonian pygmy-owlGlaucidium hardyi ? Andean pygmy owl Glaucidium jardinii ? Least pygmy owl (East Brazilian pygmy owl)Glaucidium minutissimum ? Austral pygmy owl Glaucidium nana ? Subtropical pygmy owlGlaucidium parkeri?Pearl-spotted owletGlaucidium perlatum? Peruvian pygmy owl (Pacific pygmy owl)Glaucidium peruanum ? Jungle owlet Glaucidium radiatum ? Cuban pygmy owl Glaudicium siju ? Sjöstedt's owlet (Sjöstedt's barred owlet)Glaucidium sjostedti?Red-chested owletGlaucidium tephronotum?Puerto Rican owlGymnasio nudipes? Maned owl Jubula lettii ? Dusky eagle-owl Ketupa coromanda ? IUCN/BirdLife International place species in genus Bubo. Tawny fish owlKetupa flavipes? Buffy fish owl Ketupa ketupu ? Verreaux's eagle-owlKetupa lactea?IUCN/BirdLife International place species in genus Bubo. Akun eagle-owl Ketupa leucosticta ? IUCN/BirdLife International place species in genus Bubo.Spot-bellied eagle-owlKetupa nipalensis?IUCN/BirdLife International place species in genus Bubo. Fraser's eagle-owlKetupa poensis ? IUCN/BirdLife International place species in genus Bubo. Brown fish owl Ketupa zeylonensis ? Crested owlLophostrix cristata? Bare-legged owl Margarobyas lawrencii ? White-throated screech owlMegascops albogularis? Black-capped screech owl Megascops atricapilla ? Yungas screech owlMegascops hoyi?Rufescent screech owlMegascops ingens? Some taxonomists split an additional species, the Colombian screech-owl (M. colombianus) from this species. However, neither IOC or IUCN/BirdLife International treat it as a subspecies of M. ingens. Koepcke's screech owl Megascops koepckeae ? Cloud-forest screech owl Megascops marshalli ? Cinnamon screech owl Megascops petersoni ? Peruvian screech owl (West Peruvian screech owl)Megascops roboratus? Long-tufted screech owl Megascops sanctaecatarinae ? Tawny-bellied screech owlMegascops watsonii? Southern boobook