Owls

Owls

Owls are birds belonging to the family Strigidae and Strigiformes order. These are birds of prey, shy, solitary, discrete and silent flight, thanks to the shape and texture of its feathers. In Greek culture they were seen as a symbol of wisdom, as in other cultures this bird was binding symbol with the spiritual world. These large hunters are found almost everywhere in the world except Antarctica, most of Greenland and some remote islands. There are 126 different species of owls, 18 of whom live in Brazil. Is an animal that does not transmit diseases to humans.

Owl feeds on small mammals (rats and mice, for example), grasshoppers, crickets, spiders and other birds. Usually they swallow their prey whole and then vomit which do not enjoy, such as feathers and bits of bone. There are species of owls who specialize in fishing (this fact can be seen in the Philippines). Their natural predators are: the hawk, the cat of the woods and snakes. Despite the still point, the owl is a very smart animal that does not facilitate the lives of their predators.

These birds have very large eyes, surrounded by a feather disc, facing forward and therefore with binocular vision (as humans). They are animals with hyperopia, or almost do not see close (a few centimeters), but at greater distances, his vision is very good, especially in low light. When in danger, his head rotates up to 180 degrees and can be projected up.

His ears are not visible, but their hearing ability is quite sharp, better than other birds. They are able to hunt in the dark, because the feather disc format around t
During the breeding season, the male offers a prey to the female when the prey is accepted is mating. At each position the female lays eggs 3 to 5, the incubation time is approximately 33 days and the offspring start to fly, on average, 75 days. The major species of live owls 15 to 20 years.
he eyes directs the sound of prey to their ears. Its plumage is soft and dense, usually dark colors mixed with white and / or yellow. There are cases of pure white owls as the polar owl (North Pole).

In Brazil, the largest known owl is the eared owl (its height can exceed 50 cm) and the lowest, the Caboré, reaches up to 17 cm.

Filed under: Birds