Bubo fossil map
Where fossils of Bubo have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 0 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 8.725 million years ago to the present (Tortonian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Strigidae |
| Named by | Dumeril 1806 |
| Fossil records | 68 occurrences at 54 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Italy, France, United Kingdom, Tanzania, Hungary, Canada, Greece, DR Congo, Spain … |
| Rock formations | txn:39403, Vogel River Series, Okeechobee, Olduvai, Cromer Forest Bed, Bermont |
About Bubo
The American (North and South America) horned owls and the Old World eagle-owls make up the genus Bubo, at least as traditionally described. The genus name Bubo is Latin for owl.
This genus contains 10 species that are found in many parts of the world. Some of the largest living Strigiformes are in Bubo. Traditionally, only owls with ear-tufts were included in this genus, but that is no longer the case.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Horned owl (revision 1374317332), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q214293.
