Ten fun facts about Owls
Fact 1
Most owls are nocturnal though a few such as the pygmy owls are active in the early morning or dusk.
Fact 2
They swallow small prey or tear larger prey into small pieces before swallowing as they do not have teeth.
Fact 3
These birds have an unusual placement of the toes. Two of their toes face forward and two backwards. This is referred to as zygodactyl. This enables them to capture and grasp prey with ease. The third toe can rotate forward to enable them to perch.
Fact 4
Owls can turn their head 135 degrees in either direction. They have well-developed binocular vision. They are far sighted and unable to see within a few centimeters of their eyes.
Fact 5
The vocalizations and sounds that an owl makes include hooting, whistling, screeching, hissing and screaming.
Fact 6
Owls are solitary typically. The collective noun for a group of owls is ‘a parliament,’ ‘wisdom’ or ‘study’
Fact 7
The male owls are larger and more aggressive then the females though some species have larger and more aggressive females.
Fact 8
Flying owls are silent and predators at night. Their feathers are designed to muffle sound. Their bodies’ are lightweight with a long wingspan.
Fact 9
The smallest species of owl is about 31 g in weight while the largest species can weigh as much as 4.5 kg.
Fact 10
They prey on rodents and mice, fish, small or medium sized mammals, nocturnal insects and birds.
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