Why are owls nocturnal?

Some owls are strictly nighttime owls, including the great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) and barn owl (Tyto alba). And others hunt during both the day and night, as well as the crepuscular times of dawn and dusk, when many prey are active, the experts said. read more

Owls are nocturnal (night hunters) and most other birds are diurnal (day hunters). The reason owls evolved to be nocturnal is because there is less competition and danger during the night, since more birds of prey are about and about during the day. read more

"Owls don't quite as clearly fall into nocturnal and diurnal as some other animals, because a lot of them are active during the daytime and nighttime," said Julie Ponder, a veterinarian and the executive director of The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota. read more

While owls other than the northern hawk and the northern pygmy are nocturnal by nature, some species are crepuscular, meaning they are still active or become active at dawn or dusk, respectively. These species include snowy owls, short-eared owls, burrowing owls, great grey owls, and barred and great horned owls, to a lesser degree. read more