Ural owl
The tawny owl is a member of the wood-owl genus "Strix", part of the typical owl family Strigidae, which contains all species of owl other than the barn owls. Within its genus, the tawny owl's closest relatives are Hume's owl, "Strix butleri", (formerly considered to be conspecific), the Himalayan owl, "Strix nivicolum", (sometimes considered conspecific), its larger northern neighbour, the Ural owl, "S. uralensis", and the North American barred owl, "S. varia". The Early–Middle Pleistocene "Strix intermedia" is sometimes considered a paleosubspecies of the tawny owl, which would make it that species' immediate ancestor.