30 Magnificent And Crazy Owl Facts

The owl is a common bird. Though the number of owls in nature is decreasing rapidly. They are seen almost all over the world except the arctics. Owls are mainly solitary birds. They are from the order Strigiformes. Most owl species are nocturnal and predetory birds. Owls are large birds. They are often mentioned in various cultures and scriptures in many ways. Owls are beautiful and intelligent birds.

Owls are distinctively recognizable for the different shapes of their head and mouths. They are seen sitting in the same place for a long period of time. Unlike most bird species owls have their eyes in front of their face. Their legs are not seen. They also call different than other birds. Owls are mainly seen in forests but can be seen in urban areas too. Owls feed on insects and small rodents. Owls are can live in different weathers from tropical to cold areas.

Owls are thought to be one of the smartest birds. Owls usually are not kept as pets. Owls are mostly aggressive and dont want company. They often live alone and pair up only in breeding seasons. The eyesight of a owl is great. They can easily see even one small leaf moving in the corner. There are two main types of owls and almoast over 250 reocrded species. Owls are one of the most important parts of our ecosystem and food chain.

These are some interesting owl facts:

Fact : There are a total of 248 species of owls. These species are distributed among 28 genres and two major families.

Fact : Blakiston's fish owl is the largest species of owls. They have an amazing wingspan of almost two meters long.

Fact : Elf Owl is the smallest species of owls. They have a wingspan of only around 27 cm.

Fact : The Barn owl is the most common species of owls.

Fact : In owls, females are larger in size. Females are usually about 25 percent larger. Female owls are also more aggressive than male owls.

Fact : Female owls only mate with one owl per season and lay around a dozen eggs. The eggs are incubated for 30 days before hatching.

Fact : Baby owls are commonly known as chicks. But they have a special name. Baby owls are called owlets. And they are born with teeth.

Fact : Owls take care of the strongest offsprings most. They feed the strongest babies first.

Fact : Owls are masters of camouflage. Some species of owls like the Eastern Screech-Owl is a master of disguise. Some larger owl species like The great grey owl makes themselves unseeable easily.

Fact : Owls fly silently. This capability is one of the key hunting advantages for owls.

Fact : Owls really have one of the most flexible necks among birds. They can twist their necks 270 degrees.

Fact : Owls prey on 90% of their food. They eat mostly insects and small rodents.

Fact : Owls don't drink water often. They get their needed hydration from the food they eat.

Fact : As owls feed on insects, they act as natural pest control for farming lands.

Fact : Owls are solitary birds. They live alone and only pairs in the mating season. But if they are seen together, a group of owls is called a parliament.

Fact : Owls don't make a nest usually. Instead, they use abandoned nests of other birds or tree cavities as nests.

Fact : Owls have great night vision. They have binocular vision. As a nocturnal bird, they have a clearer vision in darkness than in daylight.

Fact : Owls don't have eyeballs. They have eyes shaped like tubes. These types of eyes are called cylindrical eyes.

Fact : Owl eye has three eyelids. The eyelid is called a nictitating membrane that closes diagonally across the eye.

Fact : Owls have a different type of feet. Owl has zygodactyl feet. With this type of foot, owls can rotate one of their forward-pointing toes to the back.

Fact : Barn owls are one of the most stealth and successful hunters of nature. They can catch up to 13 mice per night and over 1000 every year.

Fact : Owls have extraordinary hearing capabilities. They can hear even the lowest sounds and can detect the source of the sound.

Fact : Some owl species are known to kill other owls. Specially territorial owls like the great horned owl can be really dangerous to other owls in their territory.

Fact : Owls usually hoots. But in cotarst some owls can hiss. Burrowing owls can hiss like a rattlesnake.

Fact : In the United States, you can't keep an owl as a pet. It's illegal to keep an owl as a pet in the United States.

Fact : While owls are mostly listed as wild animals and are illegal to keep as pets, Japan is different. In Japan, you can find owl cafes where you can enjoy your tea with owls.

Fact : In Native American beliefs, owls are the symbol of death. They also symbolize wisdom sometimes, in the same culture.

Fact : In some ancient civilizations, owls were related to wars. They symbolized war, and to be the protector of the army.

Fact : Owls were believed to be the protector of the deads, and Mohawks of the Americas believed owls are the protector of the knowledge of the afterlife.

In Egyptian hieroglyphics, owls are often depicted with Gods as companions and guards.

Owls are one of the most beautiful birds. They are beautiful and interesting birds. In many ways, they influence our culture and thoughts. Owls are now losing their natural habitat. In the recent past, some species like the Laughing owl have gone extinct. Over 80 owl species are declining in number. As avian predators, they are an important part of our natural food chain and ecosystem. More care and awareness is important to keep the Owls safe and protected.

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