''Ogygoptynx'' is an extinct genus of

owl Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers a ...

from the

Paleocene The Paleocene, ( ) or Palaeocene, is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 66 to 56 mya (unit), million years ago (mya). It is the first epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), E ...

. Dated to the Late Paleocene, this is the earliest known owl fossil, with a single species assigned to the taxon: ''Ogygoptynx wetmorei''.
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References

*Rich, Patricia Vickers & David J. Bohaska, 1981. The Ogygoptyngidae, a New Family of Owls from the Paleocene of North America. Alcheringa 5: 95–102.
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*Sankar Chatterjee. ''The Rise of Birds: 225 Million Years of Evolution'', pg. 251. *James R. Duncan. ''Owls of the World: Their Lives, Behavior and Survival'', pg. 72. Paleocene birds Extinct birds of North America {{paleo-bird-stub