O wl

1. Owl Master of Silence By: Bn

2. Introduction • Owls scientific name is strigiformes • Owls are raptors (which is a bird that eats prey) • Owls are part of the bird family • Are one of the best hunters in the bird family • Are the most silentbird

3. Physical Features • Owls are many different colors most are brown or gray • There are two different types of owls • Barn owls have heart shaped faces • Typical owls have round faces • Ears are slits • Have nostrils instead of noses called nares • They have talons which are really sharp nails • Big eyes are set in front of face • weigh up to 4 lbs • Is about 22 inches high

4. Habitat/Climate • Owls live everywhere except Antarctica • Not picky about climate • Roosts (which is a nest) have to be near food • Likes cold, warm, and hot climate • Some owls dig burrows

5. Landforms • Landform must have trees to live in • Live in North America • Typical owls live away from humans • Barn owls live near humans • Most owls live in forests • Live in forests, prairies, mountains, swamps, and deserts

6. Lifespan/Endangered • Not an endangered species • Live up to 20 years in captivity • The great horned owl lives up to 13 years or more in the wild • How long they live depends on the type of owl • People cut down owls homes but they are still not endangered

7. Food • They are carnivores (which means they only eat meat) • Eat insects, rabbits, mice, and skunks • Use beaks to tear meat from prey • Grabs prey with sharp talons • Wings have fringes that makes them silent to sneak up on prey • Return to perches to eat

8. Predator/Prey • Prey • Mice • Skunks • Young deer • Fish • Rabbits • Insects Predator • Humans • Eagles • Big birds • Foxes

9. Reproduction • Hatch from eggs • Hatch three days apart • Covered with fluffy feathers called down • Eat all the time • Female owls lay 3 to 12 eggs • Start to fly at six weeks old

10. Behavior • Tufts on ears show feelings • Sleeps standing up • Twist necks backward • Mates preen each other by rubbing each other with their beaks • Quiet while hunting • They are fast flyers and can fly up to 40 miles an hour

11. Physical Adaptation • Sharp talons help grab prey • Eyes are big to let in more light • Colored feathers help owls camouflage in habitat • Hooked beak helps to tear up meat • Wings help owls fly quickly and quietly

12. Behavioral Adaptation • Hunt alone to find more food • Is nocturnal because prey is more active at night • Twist necks so it can look around • Spits up prey’s bones and fur in pellets so that it won’t get sick on the bones • Eats food whole so they don’t have to waste their time picking out fur and bones

13. Physiological Adaptation • Have hollow bones which makes them lighter and easier to fly • Has binocular vision so it can see things in three dimension which helps them spot their prey • One ear is higher then the other so it can find out exactly where sound (and prey) come from • Lots of rods in eyes to help see in dark • Bones are fused to support weight on ground

14. Fun Facts • Owls have a bad sense of smell and taste • They have no teeth • Males are smaller than females • There are 200 to 225 species of owls • People believe hooting caused sickness • Some owls are not nocturnal • Smallest owl is elf owl which is only 5 to 6 inches and ½ ounces