Kids Corner
Learn About Owls!
An owl has a flexible neck and turns it whole head to see sideways and behind.
Although some owls are active during the day, most owls are nocturnal (active at night).
Female owls are larger and heavier than the male owls.
The colors and patterns on owl feathers make it easy for owls to blend in with their surroundings.
To appear larger to their enemies, owls will fluff up their feathers.
Owl feet have four toes,
two
point forward, one points backward and one goes either way.
Owl toes have long sharp nails called talons. These are used for catching and killing food.
The top of an owl's foot is covered in feathers, except for the talons.
The underside of an owl's foot has no feathers. It's surface is rough to help the owl grip its prey and to help it grip a perch.
Owl's will regurgitate, or cough up pellets called castings. A casting consists of food that the owl has not digested, such as the skull, bones, claws, feathers, and fur of its prey.
Some owls "pant" through their beaks in order to reduce body temperature.
Owls cannot move their eyes so they must move their entire head in order to change their field of view.
Owls can see in the daytime. Their pupils don't get as small as ours in bright light, so to block out the extra light, they close their eyes half-way or more
Owls have ears on either side of their head, called opposing ears, to help them determine the direction of a noise.
Many native American cultures have given special meaning to hearing or seeing an owl. The Osage Indians believed that if an owl was heard hooting close to sunrise, that meant that the coming day would be clear and mild.
In Colonial New England, an
owl hoot meant that bad weather was coming.
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