|
Owls have short, thick bodies; strong, hooked beaks; and powerful feet
with sharp claws called talons. Some owls have tufts of feathers on their
heads. The tufts are often called "ears" or "horns."
The feathers of owls are long, soft, and fluffy, and often make the birds
seem larger than they are. The plumage is usually dull-colored, so that
the bird may blend in with its surroundings.
Way of life. Owls can fly fairly fast. Their feathers muffle the
swishing sound that most birds make when they fly. An owl can swoop down
on its prey unheard. Some owls can see well enough in the daytime to hunt
by day as well as by night. Other owls hunt only at night. Most night-hunting
owls have keen vision in the dark. However, some owls have such sensitive
hearing that they rely very little on vision. These owls can locate and
catch mice, voles, and other small mammals in total darkness by listening
to the rustling noise the animals make running through leaves on the forest
floor.
Owls eat mostly mammals. The larger owls catch rabbits and squirrels,
and the smaller ones catch many mice, rats, and shrews. Owls usually capture
their food alive, but now and then they pick up animals that have been
recently killed along highways. Some owls also hunt a few birds and insects.
Other owls have been known to take fish from shallow waters. Like hawks,
owls tear large prey into pieces when they eat it. But if the prey is
small enough, they swallow it whole. They later cough up pellets of bones,
fur, scales, and feathers, which they cannot digest. These pellets can
be found under their nests and roosting places.
Owls are among the most useful birds to farmers. They destroy harmful
rodents, such as voles and rats, and also rabbits, which often damage
crops. They seldom take poultry, which are usually asleep and inside when
owls come out to hunt.
Owls do not build elaborate nests. Their nests are usually old nests
of hawks or crows, or crude structures in hollow trees, caves, underground
burrows, barns, deserted houses, or belfries. Most female owls lay 3 or
4 eggs, but some lay as few as 1 or as many as 12 eggs. The eggs are nearly
round and are white tinged with buff or blue.
Both male and female owls help care for their eggs and young. Young owls
have a covering of thick white down. They stay in the nest for 10 to 12
weeks. The larger owls defend the nests against intruders, including people.
They sometimes injure people by striking with their sharp talons.
Important owls. There are two families of owls: barn owls and
typical owls. There are 10 species of barn owl. They live in most places
except the colder regions. The common barn owl lives on all of the continents
except Antarctica. In North America, it ranges from the latitude of southern
British Columbia and southern Ontario south to Central America. The common
barn owl is about 18 inches (46 centimeters) long. This owl is sometimes
called the monkey-faced owl because its heart-shaped face, beady eyes,
and amusing actions seem like those of a monkey. The common barn owl usually
nests in a cave or hollow tree. It also may nest in a belfry or the dark
places in a barn, which gives it its name.
Typical owls account for about 135 species. The great horned owl lives
in many places throughout North America. It is common in the forests of
the eastern and northern parts of the continent, and among cliffs and
canyons of the dry regions in the West. It grows 2 feet (61 centimeters)
long and is the only large owl of North America that has tufts of feathers
on its head. Like other owls, it is heard more often than seen. It sounds
like a barking dog in the distance--whoo, hoo-hoo, whoo, whoo.
The great horned owl has been known to kill and eat poultry. However,
it helps prevent damage to crops by feeding on rabbits. The great horned
owl chooses old crow or hawk nests in which to lay its eggs. Both males
and females sit on the eggs at different times. The young great horned
owls cannot fly until they are 9 to 10 weeks old.
The barred owl lives chiefly in woodlands in the eastern half of North
America, from Canada south to Mexico. It is a bit smaller than the great
horned owl and has no ear tufts. Brownish-gray bars run across its breast
and the length of its belly. The barred owl deserves the name hoot owl
more than any other. It gives a series of eight or more loud hoots, the
last one ending with an ah: whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo--whoo, whoo, whoo,
whoo-ah.
The best-known of the small owls are the screech owls. These owls measure
about 10 inches (25 centimeters) long and are the only small owls with
ear tufts. They eat mostly large insects. Most screech owls have from
four to six young.
The eastern screech owl lives in woodlands east of the Rocky Mountains,
from northern Canada to Mexico. Eastern screech owls may be reddish or
grayish in color. These owls like to spend the day in hollow trees and
to nest there. They may live in a birdhouse if it has a single compartment
and an opening 3 inches (8 centimeters) or more across. They often use
the trees along city streets and in parks. Eastern screech owls may give
no signs that they are around until night. Then they give weird trembling
calls and hollow whistles that run up and down the musical scale. Superstitious
people think these sounds mean that death or disaster is near. Eastern
screech owls eat mostly mice and other small rodents, insects, and sometimes
birds.
The adult male snowy owl is usually pure white, although it may have
brown spots. It measures about 20 inches (51 centimeters) in length. The
snowy owl breeds in the Arctic. It may move south in winter, sometimes
as far as the Gulf of Mexico.
The long-eared owl is another woodland species. It nests in temperate
regions of North America, Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. In North
America, it flies as far south as Florida for the winter. The long-eared
owl grows to about 16 inches (30 centimeters) long. The owl's ear tufts
are close together, and it has lengthwise streaks on the breast.
The northern saw-whet owl also lives in the woods. Its name comes from
its rasping call. In the course of the year, this bird makes its home
from Alaska and Nova Scotia south to Mexico. The saw-whet is often tame
and can be captured by hand.
Several kinds of owls live in open country and hunt by day as well as
night. The short-eared owl is about the size of the long-eared owl. It
is buff colored all over with many brown streaks. The ear tufts are so
short that they are not noticeable. The owl nests in the northern regions
of North America, Europe, and Asia, but moves south in the winter. The
owl also nests in the southern part of South America. It lives mostly
on prairies, meadows, and marshes, and nests on the ground. The burrowing
owl nests in the ground like a ground squirrel. This owl has long legs
that help it walk about, and it can see well in daylight. Burrowing owls
often live near colonies of prairie dogs because they frequently use old
prairie dog burrows as nesting sites.
Scientific classification. Owls belong to one of two families,
the barn owl family, Tytonidae, or the typical owl family, Strigidae.
The scientific name for the common barn owl is Tyto alba. The barred
owl is Strix varia; the eastern screech owl, Otus asio;
the long-eared owl, Asio otus; the northern saw-whet owl, Aegolius acadicus,
and the short-eared owl, Asio flammeus.
|
