Question: are the uruk hai orcs?
Answer: Uruk-Hais are Orcs. Just a special breed, that is stronger, faster and can withstand sunlight. Although Treebeard speculates that Saruman created them by crossbreeding Orcs with men, there is no tangible evidence for that. ... This is further evidenced by their name: In the Black Speech Uruk-hai means Orc-Folk.