Owls are a species that few people see in everyday life because of their nocturnal habits, so there are many things we don't know about this species. Here are 10 interesting facts about owls.
1. Owls can swim
Large horned owls can swim in a slithering fashion with their powerful wings
As for an owl, Julia Ponder, executive director of the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota previously told Live Science, "if it flies after something in the water and then accidentally gets wet, then sometimes it gets wet. it's easier to swim to shore than to fly with those wet wings."
Once this bird reaches the shore, they usually take the undercoat out to dry. That's exactly what happened in Lake Michigan in 2014 when Steve Spitzer (Ornithologist and photographer) saw two falcons chasing a large horned owl across the water.
2. Not all are night owls
According to Marc Devokaitis, a mass media specialist at the Cornell Science Laboratory in Ithaca, New York, owls are known for their nocturnal lifestyle, but not all of them are night owls. Some owls are day owls, which means they hunt during the day. These are the Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa, as pictured) and the Northern Dwarf Owl (Glaucidium gnoma).
Perhaps these birds are diurnal predators because their preferred prey is songbirds or small diurnal mammals. Furthermore, owls are closely related to hawks, which are diurnal birds of prey. But according to Devokaitis, it is also unclear whether the common ancestor of owls and hawks is diurnal like hawks or nocturnal like most other owls.
3. The owl has an impressive neck
Owls have 14 cervical vertebrae, double the number humans have. This unique structure allows owls like the Strix Varia (pictured) to turn their heads 270 degrees. They do this miracle because their vertebrae have holes 10 times larger than the size of an animal's arteries. With the flexible space, the arteries can easily pass through the vertebrae when the Owl turns.
This ability is key to owls' survival because their eyes don't move easily. They have to turn their necks easily to look around.
4. The Greatest Owls Are Extinct
The largest owl in history is the Cuban giant owl (Ornimegalonyx) modeled in the "Cuba" exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History.
Scientists are not sure that this 1.1m tall owl can fly. But their long and strong legs suggest they will win a gold medal if they run the race. If it could fly and hover, it would be one of the largest flying birds the world has ever known.
5. Owls are peace ambassadors in the Middle East
him pig (Barn owls - Tyto alba) is bringing peace to the Middle East or at least it is getting scientists and farmers on both sides to talk and cooperate with each other.
These birds of prey are the star of the rat and voles, prompting farmers in Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian territories to place numerous owls in the trees.
An owl can eat 6000 rodents a year, which means farmers don't need to use a lot of toxic pesticides to protect their crops.
6. Some owls have false eyes
Northern dwarf owls have bright, yellow eyes on their faces… and black on the back of their heads, which are very intimidating to look at. These prosthetic eyes can slow down or deter predators coming from behind. Predators also don't like to attack if their prey looks at them.
Remember that northern owls are active all day so enemies will always see their false eyes when approaching this little owl.
7. Owls have waterlogged feathers
It is rare to see an owl hunting in the rain.
In the book “The Hidden Lives of Owls” (The Hidden Lives of Owls, Sasquatch Books, 2016) Leigh Salvez wrote: “We did not find oil in many of their feathers, layers that protect other birds from rain and soften their feathers, with that feathers the owls will be more effective at stealthy hunting."
In other words, the fur on the owls' bodies is very wet.
8. Owl's nests are recycled nests
Owls are roamers to make nests. They do not build new ones for themselves, but use nests or hollows left behind by other birds such as woodpeckers and tortoiseshells.
9. Owls with opposite toes
Owls have "zygodactyl" claws, which means they have two opposing thumbs. For owls, 2 claws point forward and 2 claws point back. McGowan told Live Science that the "moveable" toes extend sideways rather than forward or backward. The claws will form a complete circle when catching prey.
10. Snow owls can fly great distances
Snowy owls (Bubo scandiacus) usually live in the Arctic, but they fly south as an intrusive journey.
A snowy owl flew nearly 4,800km to Hawaii, and landed at Honolulu International Airport on Thanksgiving Day 2011. But fearing the owl would collide with a plane, federal officials killed it.
