This week’s blog was written by Jocelyn G., a Drummers alumni. She shares some interesting facts about owls.
Did you know there are eight species of owls that live in Pennsylvania? From Barn Owls to Snowy Owls each and every one of them is quite unique.
This is a Great Horned Owl that was saved after being hit by a car.
Great Horned owls have special wings to help them hunt and stay warm during winter. In general the great horned owl has a wingspan of no More than five feet. These owls are completely covered in feathers that help to insulate their body heat to keep them warm during the winter. Their feathers also help them to maneuver easily through the forest while hunting because of their short yet wide shape. because of the way the feathers are attached to the owl it allows them to fly silently so they may sneak up on their prey.
This is a wing of an owl.
This is a picture of an owl’s skull here you can clearly see the bone that holds their eyes in place.
Unlike the great horned owl the screech owl is a very small Robin sized owl. Although they may be small birds they have very sharp talons and strong beaks. This is very important for them to have so that they may tear the mammals and small birds that they catch.
This is a fully grown screech owl, that was also saved after an accident with a car.
Something else interesting about owls is their eyes. Owl’s eyes are almost comparable to binoculars. Their eyes cannot be moved, they are held in place deep into their skull with a bone. These bones are called Sclerotic rings. Because they cannot move their eyes they have the ability to rotate their heads 270°.
The photos used in this blog belong to the author.
Who Wants to Learn about Owls?
Posted: May 12, 2020 by Katie Mace
This week’s blog was written by Jocelyn G., a Drummers alumni. She shares some interesting facts about owls.
Did you know there are eight species of owls that live in Pennsylvania? From Barn Owls to Snowy Owls each and every one of them is quite unique.
Great Horned owls have special wings to help them hunt and stay warm during winter. In general the great horned owl has a wingspan of no More than five feet. These owls are completely covered in feathers that help to insulate their body heat to keep them warm during the winter. Their feathers also help them to maneuver easily through the forest while hunting because of their short yet wide shape. because of the way the feathers are attached to the owl it allows them to fly silently so they may sneak up on their prey.
Unlike the great horned owl the screech owl is a very small Robin sized owl. Although they may be small birds they have very sharp talons and strong beaks. This is very important for them to have so that they may tear the mammals and small birds that they catch.
Something else interesting about owls is their eyes. Owl’s eyes are almost comparable to binoculars. Their eyes cannot be moved, they are held in place deep into their skull with a bone. These bones are called Sclerotic rings. Because they cannot move their eyes they have the ability to rotate their heads 270°.
The photos used in this blog belong to the author.
Category: Youth Blog Tags: birds, featured, owls, rescue