Owl Facts
- There are around 200 different owl species.
- Some owls are active at night (nocturnal).
- A group of owls is called a parliament.
- Most owls hunt insects, small mammals and other birds.
- Guess how much a Great Grey Owl Weighs...remember it is has many feathers and hollow bones! (only about 1.1 kg) Even though they are the largest owl, they are all feathers!!!
- Some owl species hunt fish.
- Owls can turn their heads as much as 270 degrees.
- Owls are farsighted, meaning they can’t see things close to their eyes clearly.
- Did you know that owls cannot digest all they eat? They swallow their prey whole because they don't have teeth. After a few hours, they cough up a pellet filled with hair and bones.
- How big is a Northern Pygmy Owl?... No not as big as a cat...not the size of a small dog...They are the size of a pop can! (as pictured on the left)
"As many of you know, I love photographing birds and wildlife. I never tire of heading out on the back roads on a treasure hunt to see who I can discover. Owls have to be at the top of my favourite list! Owls and raptors like hawks and eagles are directly effected and killed when people use poison to kill rodents like mice or voles. Imagine an owl who relies solely on mice and voles for its diet but that mouse or vole it has just spent hours waiting to pounce on has been poisoned. Not only has the mouse died slowly but now the owl will too. This is not an acceptable way to treat our birds and wildlife! There are laws in place to protect wildlife and birds, but they are not being adhered to. This needs to change!" K.F.
There is good news — Great Horned Owls, featured in Nature of Things Secret Life of Owls aren't on the endangered list and are found throughout the Americas. However, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, the population has declined by 43% over the last 50 years. |
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How to be Owl Friendly
Here are a few tips from the International Owl Center on how to keep the owl families living near you happy, healthy and safe from harm.
1. Use traps instead of poison: Dying animals are always easier to catch than healthy prey. Owls eat both mice and rats so if these rodents are eating poison, then the same poison ends up in their food supply. Recent studies have found that 60-80% of all Great Horned Owls have rodent poison in their bodies. This is not a healthy statistic.
2. Protect owl habitats: Leave trees — dead (if safe to do so) and alive — where they belong, planted in the ground. Dead trees provide essential nesting sites and calling perches. And of course, live trees provide good habitat for all critters to thrive.
3. Keep kitty inside: Cats are a known scourge to birds. Although they're not likely to catch and eat a great horned owl, they do compete with them for small animals making it harder for owls to survive. And bonus: your cat won't wind up as dinner for a Great Horned Owl family.
4. Keep Fido under control, too: When an owl makes a kill it often spends several minutes on the ground eating, a time when it can be killed on injured by a dog. Fledgling owls are also especially vulnerable to dogs when they're learning to fly.
5. Don't throw your garbage, including food, into ditches: The garbage attracts rodents which attract owls. Owls are often hit by cars when they hunt along roadways. So keep your apple core for the compost pile at home!
6. Don't pick fledgling owls off the ground: Fledgling owls normally spend a week or more on the ground before they learn to fly well. Chances are their parents are somewhere nearby keeping a close watch. If you think the owl might need help, contact a local wildlife rehabilitator instead. Do not feed it. The first year of life is the toughest to survive in the life of a Great Horned Owl.
7. Make your property owl-friendly. Tips include letting your lawn grow to attract wildlife. Remove obstacles like barbed wire, soccer nets, seasonal decorations and other items that owls can get hopelessly tangled in. If you're in the right location, consider providing owls a home.
1. Use traps instead of poison: Dying animals are always easier to catch than healthy prey. Owls eat both mice and rats so if these rodents are eating poison, then the same poison ends up in their food supply. Recent studies have found that 60-80% of all Great Horned Owls have rodent poison in their bodies. This is not a healthy statistic.
2. Protect owl habitats: Leave trees — dead (if safe to do so) and alive — where they belong, planted in the ground. Dead trees provide essential nesting sites and calling perches. And of course, live trees provide good habitat for all critters to thrive.
3. Keep kitty inside: Cats are a known scourge to birds. Although they're not likely to catch and eat a great horned owl, they do compete with them for small animals making it harder for owls to survive. And bonus: your cat won't wind up as dinner for a Great Horned Owl family.
4. Keep Fido under control, too: When an owl makes a kill it often spends several minutes on the ground eating, a time when it can be killed on injured by a dog. Fledgling owls are also especially vulnerable to dogs when they're learning to fly.
5. Don't throw your garbage, including food, into ditches: The garbage attracts rodents which attract owls. Owls are often hit by cars when they hunt along roadways. So keep your apple core for the compost pile at home!
6. Don't pick fledgling owls off the ground: Fledgling owls normally spend a week or more on the ground before they learn to fly well. Chances are their parents are somewhere nearby keeping a close watch. If you think the owl might need help, contact a local wildlife rehabilitator instead. Do not feed it. The first year of life is the toughest to survive in the life of a Great Horned Owl.
7. Make your property owl-friendly. Tips include letting your lawn grow to attract wildlife. Remove obstacles like barbed wire, soccer nets, seasonal decorations and other items that owls can get hopelessly tangled in. If you're in the right location, consider providing owls a home.
Article: CBC |
Video: David Suzuki's The Nature of Things: The Secret Life of Owls |