Editing Horned owl (section)

===Fossil record===
Named and distinct ''Bubo'' species are:
* ''Bubo florianae'' (Late Miocene{{Verify source|date=November 2008}}<!-- early Pliocene? --> of Csákvár, Hungary, tentatively placed here)<!-- RevPaleóbiol5:197 -->
* ''Bubo leakeyae'' (Early Pleistocene of Tanzania)<!-- RevPaleóbiol5:197 -->
* ''Bubo binagadensis'' (Late Pleistocene of Binagady, Azerbaijan)<!-- RevPaleóbiol5:197 -->
* ''[[Bubo osvaldoi]]'' (Pleistocene of Cuba)<!-- RevBiol18 p155 --><ref>{{Cite journal
| last1 = Arredondo
| first1 = O
| last2 = Olson
| first2 = SL
| title = A New Species of Owl of the Genus ''Bubo'' from the Pleistocene of Cuba (Aves: Strigiformes)
| journal = Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash.
| volume = 107
| issue = 3
| pages = 436–444
| url = http://si-pddr.si.edu/jspui/bitstream/10088/1736/3/VZ_259_Cuban_Bubo.pdf
| access-date = 2 December 2012
}}{{Dead link|date=August 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* ''Bubo insularis'' (Pleistocene of Sardinia)

Some notable undescribed [[fossil]]s of prehistoric horned owls, usually quite fragmentary remains, have also been recorded:
* ''Bubo'' sp. (Late Pliocene of Senèze, France)<ref>Lambrecht (1933): p. 616</ref>
* ''Bubo'' sp. (Late Pliocene of Rębielice Królewskie, Poland; tentatively placed here)<ref>Mlíkovský (2002)</ref>
* ''Bubo'' sp. (Late Pleistocene of San Josecito Cavern, Mexico)<ref>A single bone of a large horned owl distinct from ''B. virginianus'': Steadman ''et al.'' (1994)</ref>

Specimen [[UMMP]] V31030, a Late Pliocene [[coracoid]] from the [[Rexroad Formation]] of Kansas (U.S.), cannot be conclusively assigned to either ''Bubo'' or ''[[Strix (genus)|Strix]]''. This fossil is from a [[taxon]] similar in size to the [[great horned owl]] (''B. virginianus'') or the [[great grey owl]] (''S. nebulosa'').<ref>Feduccia (1970)</ref>

The Sinclair owl (''Bubo sinclairi'') from Late Pleistocene California may have been a [[paleosubspecies]] of the great horned owl,<ref>Howard (1947)</ref> while the roughly contemporary ''Bubo insularis'' of the central and eastern [[Mediterranean]] has been considered a [[junior synonym]] of a [[brown fish owl]] paleosubspecies.<ref>Mlíkovský (2002, 2003)</ref> Additional paleosubspecies are discussed on the appropriate species page.

Several presumed ''Bubo'' fossils have turned out to be from different birds. The Late Eocene/Early Oligocene eared owls ''"Bubo" incertus'' and ''"Bubo" arvernensis'' are now placed in the fossil [[Barn-owl|barn owl]] genera ''[[Nocturnavis]]'' and ''[[Necrobyas]]'', respectively. ''"Bubo" leptosteus'' is now recognized as primitive owl in the genus ''[[Minerva (bird)|Minerva]]'' (formerly ''Protostrix''). ''"Bubo" poirreiri'' from the Late Oligocene or Early Miocene of Saint-Gérard-le-Puy in France, is now placed in ''[[Mioglaux]]''.

On the other hand, the supposed fossil [[heron]] ''"Ardea" lignitum'' from the [[Late Pliocene]] of [[Plaue]]-Rippersroda (Germany) was apparently an owl and close to ''Bubo'' or more probably actually belongs here. Given its age – about 2 million years ago or so – it is usually included in the Eurasian eagle-owl today.<ref>Olson (1985): p. 167, Mlíkovský (2002)</ref>