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Owl Anatomy, Hunting, and Habitat

Owls are nocturnal birds of prey that have large forward-facing eyes and excellent vision and hearing. There are over 160 owl species worldwide that inhabit diverse ecosystems from forests to tundra. Owls hunt small prey either by perching and pouncing or flying low and searching the ground. They have silent flight and use their acute senses to stealthily hunt rodents, birds, insects and frogs.

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278 views2 pages

Owl Anatomy, Hunting, and Habitat

Owls are nocturnal birds of prey that have large forward-facing eyes and excellent vision and hearing. There are over 160 owl species worldwide that inhabit diverse ecosystems from forests to tundra. Owls hunt small prey either by perching and pouncing or flying low and searching the ground. They have silent flight and use their acute senses to stealthily hunt rodents, birds, insects and frogs.

Uploaded by

angeunkacang
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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All About Owls

Owl Quiz -- Owl Printout


Owls are nocturnal hunting birds with eyes that face forwards. They are closely related to hawks. Owls sleep during the day and emerge at night to hunt small prey. There are about 162 different species of owls alive today, inhabiting a huge variety of ecological niches, from rainforests to tundra.

Anatomy
Owls have a large head and large eyes that face forwards (unlike other birds, whose eyes are on the sides of their head). This eye placement gives them binocular vision and very precise depth perception. Also, there are circles of radiating feathers surrounding each eye, giving them a wide-eyed, alert look. Owls cannot move their eyes within their sockets like we can. In order to look around, they have to move their entire head, which has a range of movement of about 270. Some owls have feathered ear tufts; these are not ears, but are part of the owl's camouflage.

Flight
Many owls have thick feathers that absorb the sounds that their wings make in flight.

Prey and Hunting


Owls are carnivores that hunt during the night (they are nocturnal). They use their keen sense of sight to find prey in the dark (owls see mostly in black and white). They have an acute sense of hearing which also helps in finding meals. Owls are stealth hunters, they can easily sneak up on their prey since their fluffy feathers give them almost silent flight. Owls have two methods of hunting Perch and pounce - the owl waits on a low tree branch until it spots prey. It then swoops down onto the prey. This method is used often by owls that live in relatively dense forested areas.

Quartering - the owl flies low over the ground looking for prey. This methods is used often by owls that live in relatively clear landscapes.

Owls hunt and eat rodents, insects, frogs, and birds. The owl is at the top of the food web; it has no major predators. Owls eat smaller prey whole and larger prey in chunks. They eliminate the inedible parts (like hair, feathers, insect exoskeletons, and bone) in oval-shaped pellets.

Habitat and Range


Owls are found worldwide in a huge range of habitats from rainforests to grasslands to wooded areas to tundra.

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)

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