Life expectancy of an owl. General characteristics, food, habitat

On the one hand, the owl is a symbol of intelligence and wisdom, since it has long been believed that it can portend events. On the other hand, because of their nocturnal lifestyle and ominous hoot, the owls were also associated with the occult and otherworldly forces. Their quiet flight, strange hooting and secretive habits turned them into objects of fear and superstition in many parts of the world. In the Middle Ages, they were considered a symbol of "darkness," and after a while it was used to symbolize the unbeliever who dwells in this darkness. Some considered this bird a bad omen and a symbol of shame.

Mysterious bird of the owl: description

A detachment of owls is a mysterious bird, for which a silent night activity is characteristic. Thanks to numerous studies, the features of their behavior, nutrition and reproduction have been studied, but many species are still poorly understood.

Sight in co-binocular with a deep perception, which increases with sharp movements of the head. Absence of color vision is compensated by increased acuity and photosensitivity. Contrary to popular belief, owls do not go blind in bright daylight. A special membrane protects the sensitive retina and provides daytime vision better than people. Large ears serve to concentrate sounds. Feathers covering the ear holes, together with a special movable shield, are responsible for focusing sounds.

Some owls can find and catch prey in complete darkness, relying on their ability to localize the rustle of the mouse in the leaves. The plumage is soft, dense and loose. A thick layer of down provides the northern owls with insulation from the cold. Shades of feathering range from white, brown, gray, reddish to dark brown. Plumage is rarely monophonic, it is often decorated with mysterious patterns with veins, spots, which makes the bird almost invisible against the background of the tree bark.

general characteristics

There are 216 species of owls, and each of them has its life expectancy. Owls are night predators that feed on mice and other small animals. Because they do not have teeth, they eat up their prey whole. The dimensions of the owls coincide with the parameters of their daily analogs of hawks, about 13-70 cm long and wingspan of 0.3-2 m. Most species are at the lower boundary of the dimensional row. These carnivorous birds feed only on animals. The most common prey are various rodents, some species feed on insects.

For all representatives, the following description of the owl is characteristic: a flat face with a small hooked beak and large frontal eyes, a short tail and rounded wings. Between themselves, they differ in their size, color of feathers, the presence or absence of the ear beams and the form of plumage around the face. Like the day-old birds of prey, the owl class is distinguished by its large legs with sharp claws.

Where do owls live

Owls are found on all continents, except Antarctica, and on most oceanic islands. Some of them, for example, Sipuha and Swamp Owl, are among the most widespread species, while others, such as Palau and the owl of the Seychelles, are endemic island species with a small number of individuals.

Owls often reach a higher density in the population than hawks. Their night habits and inconspicuous daily behavior provide them with protection from hunting. Owls live mainly in the wooded area, most insectivorous representatives divide the personal space in such a way that each pair accounted for about 200 meters.

Habitat and nutrition

Owls use almost all habitats, from meadows and tundras to dense tropical forests. The distribution and density of most species is mainly limited to the availability of suitable breeding grounds, rather than the number of possible prey. The type of prey depends on the size of the bird of prey. Owls who hunt pastures (Owl, Swamp Owl), track down a potential victim during the flight, and then swiftly fall into the grass and catch rodents.

Many forest owls get their livelihood, hunting for perch in water bodies that are on the outskirts of forest glades. In South-East Asia, a hawk owl is inhabited by a perch and various flying insects. A mustachioed owl catches insects in the foliage of trees. The elf (detachment of an owl) discourages insects with its wings during the flight and then catches them with its beak. The extraction, as a rule, is swallowed whole, together with such indigestible elements as feathers, fur and bones.

How many owls live

The life expectancy of an owl depends, as a rule, on the size. The smaller the bird, the shorter its life cycle. This is because the smaller species are characterized by a very fast metabolism and they need more food and as a result they grow older faster. However, no one can say with certainty the true duration of an owl's life.

In captivity, where predators are shielded from enemies and diseases, large species live about 20 years. In the wild, most do not survive to 5 years, and some do not live more than one breeding season. The Great Horned Owl lives an average of 13 years in the wild or 38 years in captivity.

Features of behavior

The hoot, the specific sound that owls make, plays an especially important role during the mating season and for territorial defense. Published sounds, cheeks, flapping of wings in flight, a variety of vocal intonations, timbre and rhythm are unique for each species. The voice range is higher in females than in males, although less melodic.

Interestingly, birds behave during the marriage period and dances. In order to please the female, the male bows, raises his tail, squats during courtship. If the bird is in danger, then a special protective mechanism is activated. Most large owls visually increase the size of the body while protecting their nests, turning their wings forward and swinging in different directions. At this time, the feathers rise, making the bird look more threatening. Often, the life expectancy of an owl depends on its correct behavior in dangerous situations.

Nesting Features

Most owls nest in natural hollows of trees or on rocks. Owls and Eurasian owls often use the cavities of buildings. Some large species use old nests of hawks or crows. In the meadows and tundra owls nest on the ground, on small elevations, less often in burrows of rodents.

Fur, feathers and bird-spattered undigested remnants of pellet production provide protection for the eggs. The lining in the nest is served by leaves, grass or other soft material. In desert areas, small owls occupy holes made by woodpeckers in large cacti. Eggs have a more spherical shape than any other group of birds.

Interesting Facts

• There are about 200 different types of owls.
• Owls are mostly nocturnal.
• Most owls hunt for insects, small mammals and birds.
• Some species catch and feed on fish.
• The owl has powerful claws that help them catch and kill prey.
• They have big eyes and a flat face.
• Owls can turn their heads 270 degrees.
• Long-sighted owls, that is, they can not see things near clearly.
• Their flight is very quiet, compared to other birds of prey.
• The color of the plumage helps them to merge with the environment and serves as a kind of camouflage.