Owls are the orderStrigiformes.Owls hunt small mammals, insects and other birds. Apart from this a few specialized groups of owls hunt fish.
Owls are found in all counties of the earth, except Antarctica, most of the Greenland and some isolated islands.
Owls are divided in to two families. The typical owls and the barn owls are these two families. Read moreEventspecialisten
Owls have large eyes and beaks which are similar to the hawk’s beak.All owls have a flat face and binocular visionand hence they have to turn their whole head to change views.
Since owls are farsighted, they are inept to see anything clearly within a few centimeters from their eyes.There are various species of owls, in the owl family.
There is a popular legend, that an owl can turn its head completely backwards. Contrary to this myth an owl cannot turn it head totally backward.
The smallest owl is the Elf owl. It weighs about 31gand is about 13.5 cm. The pygmy owls are much larger than this.
The Eagle owls are the greatest of the owl species. The Eurasian eagle owl and the Blakiston’s fish owl are the largest species of owls.These owls have an usual weight of about 4.5 kg. Read moreDoere og vinduer Vejle
Varied species of owls make different sounds.
The plumage of owls is generally cryptic, but many species have facial and head markings, including face masks, ear clumps and brightly colored irises.
Owl eggs are generally white in color and have a circular shape.The eggs range in number from merely a few to a dozen depending on the species.Owls lay eggs at intervals of 1 to 3 days and all the eggs do not hatch at the same time.This is the reason of the wide discrepancy in the size of sibling nestlings.
Owls do not build nests.They find themselves a sheltered nesting site or an abandoned nest in trees, underground burrows, or in buildings, barns, and caves.
Much of the owls hunting tactic depend on stealth and surprise.The owl’s flight is almost silent.
An owl has a sharp beak and powerful talons.These features permits it to kill its prey before swallowing it whole, which owls generally dounless the prey is too big.
In Japanese culture owls are seen as either negative or positive signs depending on species. In Japan owls are sometimes considered as celestial messengers of the gods. Barn owls and horned owls are professed as demonic figures. Read moreHengekoeye
