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The Owl (Strigiformes)
A perched Owl
Owls or Strigiformes are an order of birds of prey, comprising 200 extant species. Most are solitary, and nocturnal, with some exceptions such as the Burrowing Owl. These creatures 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.
Fact is they 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. Contrary to popular myth, owls cannot turn their heads completely backwards. They can turn their head 135 degrees in either direction; they can thus look behind their own shoulders, with a total 270 degree field of view.
The smallest owl is the Elf Owl (Micrathene whitneyi), at as little as 31 grams (1.1 oz) and 13.5 centimetres (5.3 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 (28.4 in) long, have a wingspan of almost 2 m (6.6 ft), and weight of nearly 4.5 kg (10 lb).
Different species of owls make different sounds; the wide range of calls aid owls in finding mates or announcing their presence to potential competitors, and also aids ornithologists and birders in locating these birds and recognizing species. The facial disc helps to funnel the sound of prey to their ears. In many species, these are placed asymmetrically, for better directional location.
Owl eggs are usually white and almost spherical, and range in number from a few to a dozen, depending on species. The eggs are laid in intervals of 1–3 days and do not hatch at the same time. This accounts for the wide variation in the size of sibling nestlings. This bird species do not construct nests but rather look for a sheltered nesting site or an abandoned nest, in trees, underground burrows, or in buildings, barns and caves.
And though most owls are nocturnal, actively hunting for prey only under the cover of darkness, several types, however, are crepuscular, or active during the twilight hours of dawn and dusk.
A few owls are also active during the day; examples are the Burrowing Owl (Speotyto cunicularia) and the Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus).
The serrations on the leading edge of an owl’s flight feathers reduce noise.
Much of the owl’s hunting strategy depends on stealth and surprise. They have at least two adaptations that aid them in achieving stealth. First, the dull coloration of an owl’s feathers can render them almost invisible under certain conditions. Secondly, serrated edges on the leading edge of the owl’s remiges muffle the owl’s wingbeats, allowing its flight to be practically silent. Some fish-eating owls, where this silence is of no evolutionary advantage, lack this adaptation.
Once prey has been captured, the owl’s sharp beak and powerful talons allow it to kill its prey before swallowing it whole (unless it is too big). Scientists studying the diets of owls are helped by their habit of regurgitating the indigestible parts of their prey (such as bones, scales and fur) in the form of pellets. These “owl pellets” are often sold by companies to schools to be dissected by students as a lesson in biology and ecology, because they are plentiful and easy to interpret.
(Source: Wikipedia – The Free Online Encyclopedia)
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