An owl is any of some
200+ species of solitary nocturnal birds of prey in the order
Strigiformes. Owls mostly hunt small mammals, insects, and other
birds, though a few species specialize in hunting fish. They are
found on all the Earth's land except for Antarctica, most of Greenland,
and some remote islands. Owls have large forward-facing eyes and
ears, a hawk-like beak, and a conspicuous circle of feathers around
each eye called the facial disk. Although owls have binocular
vision, their large eyes are fixed in their sockets, and they
must turn their entire heads to change views. Owls are far-sighted,
and are unable to clearly see anything within a few inches of
their eyes. However, their vision, particularly in low light,
is excellent.
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Many owls can
also hunt by sound in total darkness. The facial disc helps to
funnel the sound of rodents to their ears, which are widely spaced
and, in some species, placed asymmetrically, for better directional
location. Despite their appearance, owls are more closely related
to whippoorwills and other nightjars or Caprimulgiformes than
to hawks and other diurnal predators (see Falconiformes). Some
taxonomists place the nightjars in the same order as owls, as
in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy. Owls' powerful clawed feet and
sharp beak let them tear their prey to pieces before eating. Their
muffled wings and dull feathers allow them to fly almost silently
and unseen.
Owls Images:
001-014.jpg courtesy US Fish and Wildlife Service
015-016.jpg courtesy: National Undersea Research Program
017-018.jpg courtesy: U.S. Bureau of Land Management
19-24 Courtesy of The NRCS
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