The five owl species are all adapted for nocturnal and diurnal hunting, however they can sometimes be seen during the day as well, particularly if the weather has been poor during recent nights and they need to hunt.

The UK's owl species share a number of adaptations that aid them in their nocturnal way of life. They all have large, forward-facing eyes, which are so vast that the owl skull is highly modified to accommodate them and give owls their characteristic flat-faced, round-headed appearance.

The owl's sizeable eyes also provide greater visual sensitivity, enabling it to make the most of what little light is available at night. Interestingly, while the visual sensitivity of owls is advanced compared to most diurnal birds, it is not that much better than humans.

Many species are resident but others are more or less nomadic, wandering and settling wherever there is plentiful food. Residents may rear regular families of three or four chicks each year, while nomadic ones may rear many more young in ‘good’ years and none at all in others. Owls are found all over the temperate and tropical parts of the world.

 

Owls are a world-wide order of birds known as Strigiformes and the 216 species range in size from the tiny, sparrow size, Elf Owl to the Eurasian Eagle Owl which has a wing span of nearly 2 metres and can weigh almost 5kg. They are a group of predatory birds, characterised by large forward facing eyes surrounded by a facial disk of short stiff feathers and an upright posture. A large proportion of owls are nocturnal. They occupy an equivalent niche to the diurnal birds of prey such as hawks, falcons, eagles and buzzards but they are not actually related. The resemblance to the day time birds of prey is an example of convergent evolution, where both groups have independently evolved several features such as the hooked beak and talons. Owls are all very closely related to each other, much more so than, for instance, the diurnal raptors which include birds as dissimilar as vultures, secretary birds, falcons etc. Even so, owls are separated into two fairly distinct families.

The first family is the Tytonidae which is made up of 17 species of barn and grass owl, and one species of Bay Owl. Members of this family are quite distinct from other owls and possess several differences. The most obvious external ones being the heart-shaped rather than round facial disk, the longer skull and beak, longer legs, longer and more pointed wings and a forked tail. Grass Owls come from Africa, South East Asia and Australia and are very similar to Barn Owls but have longer legs.

All of the other 198 owls are in the family Strigidae: The collective noun for owls is a “Parliament”.

 

In most species, female owls are larger, heavier and more aggressive than males. If the birds are dimorphic, the female is often more richly colored than the male.

Not all owl species are nocturnal. How often an owl is seen during the day depends on the seasonal amount of daylight and darkness, food supplies and habitat.

Owls have been found in the fossil record up to 58 million years ago. The largest recorded owl fossil, Orinmegalonyx oteroi, stood about three feet tall.

There are more than 150 confirmed species of owls in the world, although some counts indicate more than 220 species depending on how different owls are classified. Owls are found on all continents except Antarctica.

Most owls have asymmetrical ears of different sizes and at different heights on their heads. This gives them excellent hearing ability and they can pinpoint where prey is located even if they are unable to see it.

Not all owls hoot and they can make a wide range of other sounds such as screeches, barks, hisses and whistles. During the nesting season their calls are at their loudest and can be heard up to a mile away.

 

 

In fat years when mice are plentiful, usually monogamous Boreal Owls are apt to be promiscuous. Because easy prey means less work for parents feeding their young, males have been caught mating with up to three females, while females have been seen with at least one beau on the side.

 

Owls are members of the Strigiformes order, which contains over 200 species! They range in size from about 15cm to 70cm, with wingspans between 0.5 metres and 2 metres. In terms of size, most species of owl are at the smaller end of the scale.

 

 

Most owls eat mainly small rodents, but their diets also include birds, fish, insects, and larger creatures like young deer and foxes. Some owls hunt during the day or at dusk, but the majority pursue prey at night, aided by their ultra-sensitive hearing and excellent night vision. Owls have a trait called eyeshine—their eyes glow orange-red when illuminated at night. The glow is caused by a layer of tissue behind their retinas that reflects visible light, giving them extraordinary ability to see in the darkness. Although they can’t move their large eyes, they make up for their lack of ocular musculature with necks that can twist up to 270 degrees to track the movement of prey.

Barn Owls swallow their prey whole—skin, bones, and all—and they eat up to 1,000 mice each year.

 

Owl

owl's her more than human's .

From catching their prey and running at an average speed of 40 miles per hour, Owls are one of the most impressive and lovely creatures. Learn other Owl Facts in this list we gathered for you.

Owls can be found in nearly every environment in the world, from deserts to coniferous forests to the Arctic tundra. All of the roughly 250 owl species live aboveground except for one: the burrowing owl, a small owl found in North and South America that nests in abandoned holes dug by other animals. 

owl's live in tree's they make hole in a tree and that is how they make there home .  

Owl's have ears on there brain that is why owls can hear from miles a way , owl's are nocturnal how ever they go in the winter at day time , there are nearly 250 owl species in the world 5 in the

England

Male owls initiate the mating process, most often in winter, by calling out to females in vocalizations that vary from deep hoots to high-pitched shrieks, depending on the species. After a female responds with her own calls, the male begins an elaborate wooing session: gifts of food, chest-fluffing, and spectacular aerial dances.

Owls lay up to 14 eggs per brood, depending on the species and the availability of food. Parents protect their babies, called owlets or nestlings, in a tree cavity or nest built and abandoned by other birds such as hawks and crows. Only the short-eared owl and the iconic snowy owl build their own nests, which they often construct by scraping dirt into a hollow in the ground at a high point such as the top of a mound, to allow them to keep watch for for predators.

Toothless like other birds, owls swallow their victims whole or in large chunks. They later cough up pellets of indigestible hair and bones.

The eyes of an owl are not true “eyeballs.” Their tube-shaped eyes are completely immobile, providing binocular vision which fully focuses on their prey and boosts depth perception.

Owls can rotate their necks 270 degrees. A blood-pooling system collects blood to power their brains and eyes when neck movement cuts off circulation.