Owl perching branch nighttime wildlife bird nature
The Strigiformes (Owls) are an order of birds of prey, comprising 200 extant species. Most are solitary, and nocturnal, with some exceptions ( the Burrowing Owl). Owls mostly hunt small mammals, insects, and other birds, though a few species specialize in hunting fish. They are found in all regions of the Earth except Antarctica, most of Greenland, and some remote islands. Though owls are typically solitary, the literary collective noun for a group of owls is a parliament. The living owls are divided into two families, the typical owls, Strigidae, and the barn-owls, Tytonidae. Owls have large forward-facing eyes and ear-holes, a hawk-like beak, a flat face, and usually a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disc. Although owls have binocular vision, their large eyes are fixed in their sockets, as with other birds, and they must turn their entire head to change views. The smallest owl is the Elf Owl (Micrathene whitneyi), at as little as 31 g ( oz) and cm ( inches). Some of the pygmy owls are scarcely larger. The largest owls are two of the eagle owls, the Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) and Blakiston's Fish Owl (Bubo blakistoni), which may reach a size of 60-71 cm ( in) long, have a wingspan of almost 2 m ( ft), and weight of nearly kg (10 lb). Owls are far-sighted, and are unable to see anything clearly within a few inches of their eyes. Caught prey can be felt by owls with the use of filoplumes, which are small hair-like feathers on the beak and feet that act as "feelers". 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. 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.
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Photo credit: © 19th era / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
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