The Owls

Elf Owl being the smallest weights only 31 grams and 5.3 inches in length. Some of the pygmy owls are very larger. The largest owls are two of the eagle owls, Blakiston's Fish Owl and the Eurasian Eagle Owl, which may reach a size of 28.4 inches in length.. Different species of owls make different sounds. The wide range of calls aids owls in finding mates or announcing their presence to potential competitors, and also aids ornithologists and birders in locating these birds and recognizing species.Owls are far-sighted, and are unable to see anything clearly within a few inches of their eyes. Their far vision, particularly in low light, is exceptionally good. They can turn their head 135 degrees in either direction; they can thus look behind their own shoulders.

Owls


Most owls hunt for prey only under the cover of darkness. Several types of owl, however, are crepuscular, or active during the twilight hours of dawn and dusk; one example is the pygmy owl. A few owls are also active during the day; examples are the Burrowing Owl and the Short-eared Owl. Owl eggs are usually white and spherical, and range in number from a few to a dozen, depending on species. The eggs are laid in intervals of one to three days and do not hatch at the same time. This accounts for the wide variation in the size of sibling nestlings. Owls do not construct nests but rather look for a sheltered nesting site or an abandoned nest, in trees, underground burrows, or in buildings, barns and caves.

Owls have at least two adaptations that aid them in achieving stealth. First, the dull coloration of an owl's feathers can render them almost invisible under certain conditions. Serrated edges on the leading edge of the owl's remiges muffle the owl's wingbeats, allowing its flight to be practically silent. Some fish-eating owls, where this silence is of no evolutionary advantage, lack this adaptation. Elf owls and Burrowing owls also lack the feathers for silent flying. Once prey has been captured, the owl's sharp beak and powerful talons, or clawed feet allow it kill its prey before swallowing it whole.

Owls


Owls have been a feature of falconry for years. In recent years, many owls have moved from their previous rural habitats to start to inhabit urban areas. The Tawny Owl has been a common visitor to cities across the UK for about forty years, where it survives on a diet of pigeons and small birds. Owls in urban areas are also known to prey on new-born kittens. In many parts of the world, owls have been associated with death and misfortune, likely due to their nocturnal activity and common screeching call. However, owls have also been associated with wisdom and prosperity, frequently being companion animals for goddesses. Ancient Egyptians used a representation of an owl for their hieroglyph for the sound m. They would often draw this hieroglyph with its legs broken to keep this bird of prey from coming to life.

The Romans considered owls to be funerary birds, due to their nocturnal activity and often having their nests in inaccessible places. As a result, seeing an owl in the daytime was considered a bad omen. The vampiric strix of Roman mythology was in part based on the owl. Likewise, in Romanian culture, the mournful call of an owl is thought to predict the death of somebody living in the neighbourhood. Such superstitions caused a minor disturbance when an owl showed up at Romanian President's residence, Cotroceni Palace. Owls were considered bad omens and associated with evil spirits in most Middle Eastern pagan traditions. In modern times, although such superstitions are less prevalent, owls are still popularly considered evil because of their fierce, horrific appearance. In Greek mythology, the owl, and specifically the Little Owl, was often associated with the goddess Athena, a bird goddess who became associated with wisdom, the arts, and skills, and as a result, owls also became associated with wisdom. They are the unofficial mascot of the high-IQ society Mensa.