Owls: Strigidae

These owls are often called the "typical" owls. They have typical owl traits including a large, rounded head and forward-facing eyes set in a facial disk, an arrangement of feathers that focuses sound into the ears. They are adapted for night hunting, with eyes that see well in low-light conditions, very sensitive hearing, strong feet, and sharp talons (TAL-unz). Many members of this family have ear tufts on top of their heads. These are just feathers, not used for hearing. Typical owls differ from the family Tytonidae, barn owls, in several ways. Many have yellow eyes, and the facial disk is round rather than heart-shaped.