Rakesh Sharma
06-02-2010, 06:53 PM
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)
distinct calls, nocturnal habits, and silent flight. Owls are familiar to many people because they are often depected in various ways in popular culture. For instance, owls are often among the animals we associate with Halloween. They are also a favorite character in a variety of children's stories, such as Winnie the Pooh, The Secrets of NIMH, and Harry Potter.
But widespread understanding about this unique group of birds is often quite limited. So in this article, I'd like to explore ten things we should all know about owls:
1. Owls belong to the Order Strigiformes.
The Order Strigiformes is further divided into two families, the barn owls (Family Tytonidae) and the typical owls (Family Strigidae). Owls are a diverse group of birds, with over 220 species of owls belonging to the Order Strigiformes.
2. Owls are birds of prey.
Owls feed on a wide variety of prey including mammals, other birds, insects, and reptiles. There are even some species of owls that live in Africa and Asia that feed on birds. Owls cannot chew their prey since, like all birds, they do not have teeth. Instead, they swallow small prey whole and must tear larger prey into smaller pieces before swallowing. They later regurgitate pellets of indigestible material such as bone, fur, and feathers.
3. Most owls are nocturnal.
Most owls are active at night. A few species (such as the pygmy owls) are active in the early morning or at dusk while some (such as the burrowing owl and the short-eared owl) are active during the day.
4. Owls' eyes are fixed in their sockets.
Owls are unable to move their eyes within their sockets to a great extent, which means they must turn their entire head to see in a different direction. Because owls have forward-facing eyes, they have well-developed binocular vision.
5. Many species of owls have special flight feathers adapted for silent flight.
Owls have developed special feather adaptations that enable them to minimize the sound made when flapping their wings. For instance, the leading edges of their primary feathers have a stiff fringes that reduces noise while the trailing edge of their primaries have soft fringes that helps to reduce turbulence. Downy feathers cover the surfaces of the wing to further reduce sound.
6. Owls have long been a part of human folklore and legend.
Owls are depicted in cave paintings in France that date back 15,000 to 20,000 years. Owls also are used in Egyptian hieroglyphics. They have held a variety of symbolic roles in culture and have represented misfortune, death, prosperity, and wisdom.
7. The tufts of feathers atop some owl's heads, referred to as 'ear tufts' are for display only.
Owls' ears are located on the facial disc behind the eyes and are concealed by feathers. Owls have an acute sense of hearing that helps them locate and capture prey. In some species, the ears are located asymmetrically on either side of the facial disc to enhance their ability to pinpoint the origin of the sounds they hear by sensing the minute difference in the time that sound reaches each ear.
8. Owls have strong feet like raptors with two toes facing foreward and two toes facing back.
The structure of an owl's foot is referred to as zygodactyl, which means that tow of the toes face forward while two face backward. This arrangement enables the owls to capture and grasp prey with greater ease. Sometimes, the third toe can be rotated forward into a position occasionally used for perching.
9. Owls have a long, hooked bill.
In many species, the bill is partly concealed by feathers so it appears smaller than it actually is. Owls use their sharp bill to tear their food.
10. Owls create a variety of vocalizations.
Owls create a wide variety of sounds or vocalisations. The familiar hoot is usually a territorial declaration, though not all species are able to hoot. Other sounds owls might make include screeches, hisses, and screams.
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)
distinct calls, nocturnal habits, and silent flight. Owls are familiar to many people because they are often depected in various ways in popular culture. For instance, owls are often among the animals we associate with Halloween. They are also a favorite character in a variety of children's stories, such as Winnie the Pooh, The Secrets of NIMH, and Harry Potter.
But widespread understanding about this unique group of birds is often quite limited. So in this article, I'd like to explore ten things we should all know about owls:
1. Owls belong to the Order Strigiformes.
The Order Strigiformes is further divided into two families, the barn owls (Family Tytonidae) and the typical owls (Family Strigidae). Owls are a diverse group of birds, with over 220 species of owls belonging to the Order Strigiformes.
2. Owls are birds of prey.
Owls feed on a wide variety of prey including mammals, other birds, insects, and reptiles. There are even some species of owls that live in Africa and Asia that feed on birds. Owls cannot chew their prey since, like all birds, they do not have teeth. Instead, they swallow small prey whole and must tear larger prey into smaller pieces before swallowing. They later regurgitate pellets of indigestible material such as bone, fur, and feathers.
3. Most owls are nocturnal.
Most owls are active at night. A few species (such as the pygmy owls) are active in the early morning or at dusk while some (such as the burrowing owl and the short-eared owl) are active during the day.
4. Owls' eyes are fixed in their sockets.
Owls are unable to move their eyes within their sockets to a great extent, which means they must turn their entire head to see in a different direction. Because owls have forward-facing eyes, they have well-developed binocular vision.
5. Many species of owls have special flight feathers adapted for silent flight.
Owls have developed special feather adaptations that enable them to minimize the sound made when flapping their wings. For instance, the leading edges of their primary feathers have a stiff fringes that reduces noise while the trailing edge of their primaries have soft fringes that helps to reduce turbulence. Downy feathers cover the surfaces of the wing to further reduce sound.
6. Owls have long been a part of human folklore and legend.
Owls are depicted in cave paintings in France that date back 15,000 to 20,000 years. Owls also are used in Egyptian hieroglyphics. They have held a variety of symbolic roles in culture and have represented misfortune, death, prosperity, and wisdom.
7. The tufts of feathers atop some owl's heads, referred to as 'ear tufts' are for display only.
Owls' ears are located on the facial disc behind the eyes and are concealed by feathers. Owls have an acute sense of hearing that helps them locate and capture prey. In some species, the ears are located asymmetrically on either side of the facial disc to enhance their ability to pinpoint the origin of the sounds they hear by sensing the minute difference in the time that sound reaches each ear.
8. Owls have strong feet like raptors with two toes facing foreward and two toes facing back.
The structure of an owl's foot is referred to as zygodactyl, which means that tow of the toes face forward while two face backward. This arrangement enables the owls to capture and grasp prey with greater ease. Sometimes, the third toe can be rotated forward into a position occasionally used for perching.
9. Owls have a long, hooked bill.
In many species, the bill is partly concealed by feathers so it appears smaller than it actually is. Owls use their sharp bill to tear their food.
10. Owls create a variety of vocalizations.
Owls create a wide variety of sounds or vocalisations. The familiar hoot is usually a territorial declaration, though not all species are able to hoot. Other sounds owls might make include screeches, hisses, and screams.