OWLS
Owls are
nocturnal birds of prey. They are closely related to hawks. There are
two families of owls - typical owls with about 167 species and barn
owls with about 14 species. The large eyes of owls face
forward and are in a capsule of bone which allows little eye
movement. Owls turn their entire heads to see sideways. An
owl may turn its head 270 degrees. Their eye placement gives them
bincular vision and precise depth perception. Most owls hunt during the
night, but a few hunt during the day. Owls have very acute hearing and
are able to get a "fix" on any sound made by a prey animal.
Owls
live all over the globe except on the Antarctic region. Owls hae
a variety of nests. They nest in holes in trees,
tree-nests, and on the ground. They lay white eggs. Owls
feed entirely on live animals. They eat rodents, insects, frogs, fish,
and birds. They eat small prey whole and larger prey in chunks.
Food that cannot be digested such as bones, insect exoskeletons,
hair, teeth, and feathers is compressed and regurgitated as compact
oval-shaped pellets. The owl is at the top of the food
chain and has no major predators.
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (the
animals)
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata (animals
with backbones)
Class Aves (Birds)
Order Strigiformes (owls)
Family Tytonidae (barn
and bay owls) and Strigidae (other owls) |
