# Athene (bird)

Athene is a genus of owls, containing nine living species, depending on classification. These birds are small, with brown and white speckles, yellow eyes, and white eyebrows. This genus is found on all continents except for Australia, Antarctica, and Sub-Saharan Africa. An evolutionary radiation of 4 species (formerly thought to be in the genus Ninox) is also present in the Solomon Islands.

## Taxonomy and list of species

The genus Athene was introduced by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie in 1822. The type species was designated as the little owl (Athene noctua) by the English zoologist George Robert Gray in 1841. The genus name is from the little owl which was closely associated with the Greek goddess Athena, and often depicted with her. Her original role as a goddess of the night might explain the link to an owl.
The genus contains the following nine species.
| Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
| Athene noctua | Little owl | Europe, Asia east to Korea and North Africa |
| Athene brama | Spotted owlet | tropical Asia from mainland India to Southeast Asia |
| Athene cunicularia | Burrowing owl | North and South America |
| Athene superciliaris | White-browed owl | Madagascar |
| Athene blewitti | Forest owlet | central India |
| Athene jacquinoti | West Solomons owl | western Solomon Islands |
| Athene granti | Guadalcanal owl | Guadalcanal Island, Solomon Islands |
| Athene malaitae | Malaita owl | Malaita Island, Solomon Islands |
| Athene roseoaxillaris | Makira owl | Bauro and Makira Islands, Solomon Islands |
The forest owlet was formerly placed in the monotypic genus Heteroglaux, and the Solomon Islands radiation was formerly placed in the genus Ninox with the other owls referred to as "boobooks" until taxonomic studies found them to group in Athene.

## Extinct species and subspecies

A number of mainly island representatives of this genus are only known from fossil or subfossil remains:
* Athene megalopeza (fossil; Rexroad Late Pliocene of west-central U.S.)—sometimes placed in Speotyto
* Athene veta (fossil; Early Pleistocene of Rebielice, Poland)
* Athene angelis (fossil; Middle–Late Pleistocene of Castiglione, Corsica)
* Athene trinacriae (Pleistocene)
* Athene cf. cunicularia (fossil; Pleistocene of Barbuda, West Indies)—sometimes placed in Speotyto
* Athene cf. cunicularia (fossil; Pleistocene of the Cayman Islands, West Indies)—sometimes placed in Speotyto
* Athene cf. cunicularia (fossil; Pleistocene of Jamaica, West Indies)—sometimes placed in Speotyto
* Athene cf. cunicularia (fossil; Pleistocene of Mona Island, West Indies)—sometimes placed in Speotyto
* Athene cf. cunicularia (fossil; Pleistocene of Puerto Rico, West Indies)—sometimes placed in Speotyto
* Cretan owl (Athene cretensis) (prehistoric; Crete, Mediterranean)
The Cretan owl was a flightless or near-flightless form that was more than 50 cm (almost 2 ft) tall. It went extinct soon after the island of Crete became inhabited by humans.
Late Miocene (about 11 mya) fossil remains from Rudabánya (NE Hungary) have been tentatively assigned to this genus. Considering the known fossil range of Athene and the misassignments of many Miocene strigids from Europe, it may be a basal member of the present genus or not belong here at all. The supposed species "Athene" murivora was the name given to subfossil bones of male Rodrigues scops owls.
** Antiguan burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia amaura)—extinct (c. 1905)
** Guadeloupe burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia guadeloupensis)—extinct (c. 1890)