With owls living on all continents, except Antarctica, it’s not too surprising there are more than 200 different species. These owls are grouped into two groups or families. Barn owl species have their own family called Tytonidae, while all others are in the family Strigidae. Regardless of family, owls are all raptors. Raptors are birds like owls, hawks, falcons and eagles that hunt using sharp talons and have hooked beaks for tearing apart prey. Most owls are nocturnal, which means they are awake at night and do their hunting in the dark. Their keen eyesight allows them to do this. Depending on what’s available, owls may hunt for animals such as small mammals, birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians, even fish!