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owl
OWLS
OWLS
     Owls are nocturnal birds of prey. They are closely related to hawks. There are two families of owls - typical owls with about 167 species and barn owls with about 14 species.   The large eyes of owls face forward and are in a capsule of bone which allows little eye movement.  Owls turn their entire heads to see sideways.  An owl may turn its head 270 degrees. Their eye placement gives them bincular vision and precise depth perception. Most owls hunt during the night, but a few hunt during the day. Owls have very acute hearing and are able to get a "fix" on any sound made by a prey animal.  
     Owls live all over the globe except on the Antarctic region.  Owls hae a variety of nests.  They  nest in holes in trees, tree-nests, and on the ground.  They lay white eggs.  Owls feed entirely on live animals. They eat rodents, insects, frogs, fish, and birds.  They eat small prey whole and larger prey in chunks. Food that cannot be digested such as bones, insect exoskeletons,  hair, teeth, and feathers is compressed and regurgitated as compact oval-shaped  pellets.  The owl is at the top of the food chain and has no major predators.
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (the animals) 
Phylum Chordata 
Subphylum Vertebrata (animals with backbones) 
Class Aves (Birds) 
Order Strigiformes (owls) 
Family Tytonidae (barn and bay owls) and Strigidae (other owls)  

 
LINKS
Owls
Audubon Adopt-a-Bird
http://www.adoptabird.org/
Owl Quiz
http://www.zoomschool.com/subjects/birds/findit/qowl.shtml 
Little Explorers Owl Quiz
http://www.zoomschool.com/classroom/quiz/owl.shtml
Instructor's Guide by Owl Brand Discovery Kits
Investigations of  NW vs SE Owl Pellets
http://cas.bellarmine.edu/tietjen/Laboratories/Owls2/owl_lab.htm


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