Master of Silence
By: Bn
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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 silent
bird
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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
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
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
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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
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
Predator
 Humans
 Eagles
 Big birds
 Foxes
Prey
•Mice
•Skunks
•Young deer
•Fish
•Rabbits
•Insects
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
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
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
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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
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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
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