Mary Allen
Owls are a genus of birds found all over the world except Antarctica. There are more than 200 species. Their closest relatives are the birds of prey. The owl was already considered a symbol of wisdom by the ancient Greeks.
The owls are best recognized by their round heads and bodies. It looks rather broad and bulky, but that’s only due to the plumage. The feathers on their wings are very soft and arranged at the edges like a comb. So there is no whizzing noise when they surprise their prey in the dark. The largest owl species is the eagle owl, which can grow to over 70 centimeters.
Owls are difficult to spot because they don’t fly during the day but hide in trees, buildings, and rocks. They are also well camouflaged as their feathers are brown in color. Some are slightly lighter, others darker. As a result, they are hardly noticeable in their tree cavities and on the branches.
How do owls live?
Owls are good at hunting and most species of owls prefer to feed on mice. But they also frequently hunt other small mammals and birds. Some owls also eat fish, snakes, snails, and frogs. Beetles and many other insects are also part of their diet. Owls usually swallow their prey whole. After digestion, they expel the bones and fur. These balls are called wool. From this, the expert recognizes what the owl has eaten.
Owls sleep during the day and at dusk, they start looking for their prey. Owls can hear very well and have large, staring, forward-facing eyes. They can also see well in the dark. You can turn your head all the way back without any problems.
How do owls reproduce?
In spring, the male uses his calls to attract a female to mate with him. Owls do not build their own nests, but lay their eggs in rock or tree cavities, abandoned bird nests, on the ground, and in buildings, depending on the species.
An owl lays several eggs, always a few days apart. The number depends on the species and the food supply. The barn owl can even breed twice a year if there are enough mice for food. The incubation period is about a month. During this time, the male provides food for his female.
The young owls are of different ages depending on when their egg was laid. That’s why they are different sizes. Often only the oldest surviving. After all, a tawny owl family with three young needs about 25 mice every night. They don’t always succeed in chasing them.
Older hatchlings leave the nest and climb around on branches before learning to fly. As soon as they can, their parents teach them to hunt. In the autumn the young animals leave their parents and look for their own partnership towards the end of the winter.
Who is endangering the owls?
In spring, the male uses his calls to attract a female to mate with him. Owls do not build their own nests, but lay their eggs in rock or tree cavities, abandoned bird nests, on the ground, and in buildings, depending on the species.
An owl lays several eggs, always a few days apart. The number depends on the species and the food supply. The barn owl can even breed twice a year if there are enough mice for food. The incubation period is about a month. During this time, the male provides food for his female.
The young owls are of different ages depending on when their egg was laid. That’s why they are different sizes. Often only the oldest surviving. After all, a tawny owl family with three young needs about 25 mice every night. They don’t always succeed in chasing them.
Older hatchlings leave the nest and climb around on branches before learning to fly. As soon as they can, their parents teach them to hunt. In the autumn the young animals leave their parents and look for their own partnership towards the end of the winter.
Who is endangering the owls?
Great owls have no natural predators. Smaller owls are hunted by other owls, but also by eagles and hawks, but also by cats. Martens not only like to eat small owls, but also eggs and young animals from the nests.
In our countries, all native owls are protected. So humans are not allowed to hunt them down or harm them. Still, many owls die from collisions with cars and trains, or from electricity on power lines. Therefore, in the wild, these birds live only about five years, while in a zoo they can live up to 20 years. However, they are most threatened because their natural habitats are disappearing more and more.