Can owls cross breed with each other successfully?

Owls can cross breed with each other, but successful hybridization is relatively rare. Hybridization between different owl species has been observed in captivity, but it is a relatively rare occurrence in the wild. Hybrid owls are usually the offspring of closely related species, and their fertility and survival rates are often lower than purebred owls.

However, there are some well-known examples of successful owl hybridization in the wild. For example, the Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) and the Ural Owl (Strix uralensis) are two closely related species that have been known to hybridize in Europe and Asia. The hybrids of these two species are known as "Tawny-Ural Owls" or "Ural-Tawny Owls". They have intermediate characteristics of both parent species, and they are typically fertile and successful in the wild.

Another well-known example of owl hybridization is the "Northern Spotted Owl" (Strix occidentalis caurina), which is a hybrid between the Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) and the Barred Owl (Strix varia). This hybrid is found in the Pacific Northwest of North America, and it is the result of a natural hybridization event that occurred thousands of years ago. Northern Spotted Owls are fertile and successful in the wild, and they are considered to be a distinct subspecies of the Northern Spotted Owl.

While hybridization between different owl species is relatively rare, it does occur and it can result in the formation of new species or subspecies of owls. These hybrid owls can play an important role in the evolution and diversification of owl species.