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Showing posts with label about birds of prey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label about birds of prey. Show all posts

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Well, Owl Be - 10 Fascinating Facts About Owls

     No question about it, owls are one of the most fascinating creatures on the planet. We have learned a lot about their mysterious ways. Yet, it seems there is more to learn. For now, though, lets review 10 of the most fascinating facts about them:

1. All owls can rotate their heads 270 degrees in any direction. (Not 360 degrees as was commonly believed). 
 

2. Owl are silent flyers, allowing them to sneak up on their prey. 

3. Owls eyes are tubular and fixed. They must turn their heads to see in different directions. 

4. They are able to to make meals out of prey that are bigger than them, such as a fawn. 

5. The large Fish Owls actually do prey on fish, mostly salmon. 

6. Owls can swallow many of their prey whole. They then later regurgitate what is called 'pellets' which are the indigestible parts, such as fur and bones. 

 7. Burrowing Owls nest in the ground and place dung around their entrance to entice their favorite snacks, dung beetles. 

 8. Owls can be found anywhere in the world, except the Antarctica. 

 9. Owls can make some of the scariest noises in the animal kingdom. Some of their calls seem to come straight out of a horror film. Listen to some examples here.
 
  10. The owls flattened face allows sounds to funnel to their ears; emphasizing their hearing ability about 10 times. 

What are favorite facts about owls? 
 


Owdle T Shirt
Owdle T Shirt by StasEnso
Browse Gray T-Shirts online at Zazzle.com

Barn Owl Close Up Pillow
Barn Owl Close Up Pillow by PattiJAdkins
Find more Owls Pillows at Zazzle




Pharaoh Eagle Owl Luggage Tag
Pharaoh Eagle Owl Luggage Tag by HumusInPita
Check out other Animal Luggage Tags at zazzle.com





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Monday, April 11, 2016

The Unknown Owl

     There are over 200 species of owls in the world, and in this blog we have covered most of the popular and well known ones. But, there are some that many are unfamiliar with, or are even aware they exist. One of these are the Fishing Owls. Yes, they are called that as they do primarily hunt fish, especially, salmon, as well as other land prey. Being that fish is their main diet, they inhabit areas with rivers with year round slow currents. They capture their fish prey by perching on low tree limbs or rocks over shallow water and pounce on the prey as it goes by. They have also been known to catch while sailing over water.

      Interesting enough, they are the largest owl in the world and ranked as the fifth heaviest.  Maybe the reason they are not as well known is because of where they live. Fishing owls are found in remote areas of Russia, Japan and China. In addition to running rivers, the Fishing Owls need mature forest that can provide plenty of tree cavities for nesting. They are nocturnal birds, but can sometimes be seen during the day. They are said to have a very interesting call that is described as 'duet'.  Listen to the Blakiston's fish owl here. 

      The mating and breeding habits of Fishing owls are much like those of the other species. They usually become a couple at around age 2 and breed by age 3, with only one or two eggs laid. However, if two are laid, only one chick commonly survives.

      Sadly, like so many other owl species, the Fishing owls are endangered.




  To learn more about these amazing birds and how to help, click here. 


Javan Fish-Owl Poster
Javan Fish-Owl Poster by CorbisMementos
Check out other Animals Posters at zazzle.com





owl family and fishing fox t shirt
owl family and fishing fox t shirt by oldfotoreproductions
Check out more Vertical T-Shirts at Zazzle






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Saturday, March 19, 2016

Owls in the News: Lawsuit Filed for California Spotted Owl

Owls have been struggling to survive for decades and the California Spotted Owl is no exception.   Found primarily in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, their numbers are being threatened by logging, urban development, and even from the more aggressive barred owls. Consequently, the Center for Biological Diversity, along with a few other groups, presented a petition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list this bird as endangered. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, they have not yet acted on this petition and, therefore, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the imperative need of this protection. According to the Center Biological Diversity,  the decision from the US Fish and Wildlife Service was due in January 2016.   

Spotted Owls are medium sized owls with large white spots on their chest and belly. They lack ear turfs and have with big brown eyes.  They have overall brown feathers, with the California subspecies' hue being between the lighter Northern Spotted and the darker Mexican Spotted.

 The California Spotted Owls prefer to live in high elevation in mature dense forests. Their main prey are the flying squirrel and the dusky-footed woodrat.  


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Spotted Owls Baby Shower Invitation
Spotted Owls Baby Shower Invitation by origamiprints
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Spotted Owl Postcard
Spotted Owl Postcard by WildlifeAnimals
Create one-of-a-kind picture post cards at Zazzle










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Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Owl Astrology

When we think of the new year, we also think of the Chinese New Year and the astrological animal for that year. No, Chinese astrology do not include an owl, however, the owl is included in two other cultures: the Native American Totem Animal and  India's Pancha Pakshi Shastra. 

 In the Native American culture, it is believed that your astrological or totem animal chooses you at birth base on the character traits you will need to acquire or strengthen throughout your life. 

The owl is your totem animal if your birth date falls between  November 23 and December 21.  People with the owl totem are said to be easy going and adventure seeking. However, this also means they can be reckless and somewhat thoughtless at times, which can place them in rather sticky situations. Still, the owl person is a great listener and can be enthusiastic. They are very adaptable and can do well in any occupation, but they excel as artists and teachers. 

The owl serves to remind you to veer away from greed and excesses. 

The Pancha-Pakshi Sastra is the most popular astrology mythology in South India. Pancha means 5 and Pakshi means birds, thus, their astrology is represented by five birds, the owl being one of them. Unfortunately, in order to know your birth pakshi, you will need to know your birth star according to the Vedic Astrology and the Paksha of the moon at the time of your birth; not an easy task to do. 

Well, let's explore the owl Pakshi anyway.  It actually sounds similar to the Native American totem owl.  

Owl Pakshi people are said to be very ambitious with lots of confidence. They are energetic and sometimes need to calm down their enthusiasm. They also have short tempers that they need to learn to control. They are intelligent and make great students. 

What I find fasinating is that I, personally, don't precieve recklessness and adventure seeking associated with owls, yet here we have two totally different cultures that do and are similiar in their intrepetations. What do you think? Let me know in the comment area below. 










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Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Owl New Year

     It will soon be time to say good-bye to 2015 and hello to 2016. 2015 brought some good and bad news to the owls of the world. The major good news occurred in the United Kingdom where aggressive conservation efforts resulted in a large increase of Barn Owls. Yea!

      As for the bad news, the endangered and federally protected Northern Spotted Owls have been at war with the Barred Owls within the Pacific Northwest Forest, and it is not likely that the Spotted Owl will endure without our help. It is said that Barred Owls now heavily outnumber the Spotted Owls. This is in addition to the continual decline of Spotted Owls worldwide due to deforestation. Clearly, the two species cannot co-exist, but there is not suficient land space suitable for the less aggressive Spotted Owls. A lot more work and effort will be needed this upcoming year to help the Spotted Owl survive. Hopefully, with the help of the big conservation organizations, such as, the National Wildlife Federation and Conservation Northwest, we will see some improvements in 2016.

On a lighter note, a new year means a new calendar, and so I present you with an array of owl wall calendars for a hooting good year.




Cute owl calender calendar
Cute owl calender calendar by sweet_victory
Browse more Owls Calendars at Zazzle



Owl Calendar
Owl Calendar by CuteLittleTreasures
See other Polka Calendars at zazzle

2016 Owl Calendar
2016 Owl Calendar by Owlystuff
View 2016 Calendars online at zazzle













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Thursday, October 8, 2015

Owls in Fall

     If  you'd like to go out and do some owl watching, this is a good time to do it. By fall, all the owlets have 'flown the coop' and the parents are now free to roam and explore distant, and hopefully, more plentiful, hunting grounds. This is also the time when the owls are the most vocal, making it easier to spot them. 

      It is not known why owls are more vocal at this time of the year, but some speculate it is simply because they now have more energy after months of caring for their young. Others think that they are broadcasting, or 'networking', with other owls for territory. Perhaps both theories are correct. In any event, the mild fall weather with warm colored leaves can make this Owling (owl watching) time a most pleasant experience. But, remember to not get too close.

For tips on Owling and to learn to differentiate owls' calls, check out this prior blog post. 

In the meanwhile, cuddle up with these warm owls in fall themed items: 



Little Autumn Whoo Owl Tshirt
Little Autumn Whoo Owl Tshirt by Spice
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Fall Owl Clock
Fall Owl Clock by DoodlesHolidayGifts
View other Fall Wall Clocks at Zazzle.com








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