Best of Nature and Wildlife

Owls are fascinating creatures! Did you know that they can rotate their heads up to 270 degrees? This is possible due to their flexible neck arteries that prevent blood flow interruption when turning. Additionally, owls are known for their silent flight, thanks to specialized feathers that reduce turbulence. Owls are remarkable hunters with specialized adaptations. Their facial discs help funnel sound to their ears, allowing them to locate prey with exceptional precision. Also, owls have asymmetrical ear placements, aiding in pinpointing the source of sounds accurately. Some owl species, like the barn owl, have unique heart-shaped facial patterns. Owls have excellent low-light vision, adapted for hunting during dusk and dawn. Their large eyes are fixed in their sockets, but they can rotate their heads almost completely, compensating for limited eye movement. Additionally, owl feathers have serrated edges, reducing aerodynamic noise during flight and enhancing their stealth as nocturnal...

a nocturnal bird of prey with large eyes, a facial disc, a hooked beak, and typically a loud hooting call. Far from fearing them, we should appreciate owls as competent predators that hunt mice and other rodents, helping to maintain a balance in nature. Everything about an owl’s body makes it the ideal bird for night living. An owl has the best night vision of any animal, and its hearing is nearly as acute. Hearing: Did you know that an owl can hear a mouse stepping on a twig from 75 feet (23 meters) away? Every owl has two huge holes in its skull for ears, along with a facial disc that channels sound into the ear openings. Owl ears don’t look like our ears, but they are incredibly good at picking up sounds. Vision: Animals that are active at night usually have large eyes that let them make use of any available light. With owls, the eyes are so big in comparison to the head that there is little room for eye muscles, meaning owls can’t move their eyes. Instead, owls m...