Owls

The two recognized families that comprise the order Strigiformes contain typical owls and barn-owls. For the most part both types are primarily nocturnal predators. They share many features with the birds of prey of the order of Falconiformes: strong talons, a sharply hooked beak, and the tendency for females to be larger than males. Taxonomists think these similarities are convergences -- similar characteristics that have evolved independently in unrelated groups -- rather than indicators of close relationship.