Owls, like hawks and eagles are called raptors, or birds of prey, which means they use sharp talons and curved bills to hunt, kill, and eat other animals. But owls are different from hawks and eagles in several ways. Most owls have huge heads, stocky bodies, soft feathers, short tails, and a reversible toe that can point either forward or backward. Owl’s eyes face forward, like humans do. Most owl species are active at night, not in the daytime.
There are about 250 species of owls in the world. They live on every continent except icy Antarctica. Owls belong to a group of birds called Strigiformes. That group is divided into two smaller groups, known as families. The family called Tytonidae includes Barn Owls, which have heart-shaped faces. The second family, Strigidae, includes all other owls, most of which have round faces.
Many owls vocalize at a distinctively low frequency, which allows their songs to travel long distances without being absorbed by vegetation. Many owl species are nocturnal, meaning they are active at night. There are some owl species who are diurnal, however, meaning they are active during the day but rest at night. Crepuscular species are active during dusk and dawn.
Owls spend much of their waking time hunting for food. Many owl species are carnivores, or meat eaters. Small, rodent-like mammals, such as voles and mice, are the primary prey for many owl species. An owl's diet may also include frogs, lizards, snakes, fish, mice, rabbits, birds, squirrels, and other creatures. Occasionally, Great Horned Owls might even find skunks tasty enough to eat. Some owls, like the Flammulated Owl eat insects almost exclusively. Animals that eat insects are called insectivores.
Owls hunt in various ways. One hunting technique is called perch and pounce. In this method, owls perch comfortably until they see their prey, then glide down upon it. Another approach to hunting, called quartering flight, is to search for prey while flying. Sometimes owls hover like a helicopter above prey until they are ready to zoom in on it. Hovering takes a lot of energy. Burrowing Owls commonly run across the ground after their prey. In all methods, owls generally hunt close to the ground so that they can more easily hear and see their prey.
Owls sometimes hide their food. They capture prey and use their bill to carefully stuff the food into a hiding spot. This is called caching (pronounced CASH-ing). Owls might cache prey in holes in trees, in the forks of tree branches, behind rocks, or in clumps of grass. Owls do this when the hunting is good in order to stock up and will usually go back for the prey within a day or two. Do owls like geocaching too?
The Geocache
The geocache is a box with 3 goodies for the first three geocachers. Find out where the owl has stashed the cache.
Appreciation
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